Primeval Season Two
by shadowglove
Summary: Sequel to Primeval Season One. Chloe's trip to the past has changed their present and many other very important details in their lives, though some more than others. Is there a Ben Becker and a Claudia Brown in this universe? And what is Helen up to now?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own Primeval/Smallville

Sequel to: Primeval - Season one

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

In the blink of an eye the light was gone, the anomaly alone remained, and all pain within her vanished.

And yet deep inside of her, Chloe knew that something had gone terribly wrong.

"Oh my god." Nick helped her to her feet.

The others acted as if nothing had happened.

Connor looked down at a device which monitored the Anomaly's frequencies. "It's closing."

"No!" Nick raced towards the anomaly. "We have to fix whatever we did wrong!"

Stephen and Connor rushed towards him, Stephen's arms going around Nick and restraining him right before he could reach the anomaly.

"No!" Nick fought. "I have to go!"

"Don't be stupid!" Stephen held on tightly. "You'll get marooned there!"

The anomaly continued to fluctuate before vanishing completely, leaving nothing but an empty forest in its wake.

Stephen finally let go of Nick.

"Something's happened." Nick turned to them, eyes wide. "Something happened while we were in there, something's changed. The world's evolved differently."

Chloe's gaze scanned the rest of the team, everyone eyeing Nick with worry, as if scared that he'd suffered a mental breakdown.

Lester wasn't paying attention, talking to someone on his phone. "On my way." He ended the call and looked up, completely unphased by what was going on around him. "I think we're done here, aren't we?"

"No, no." Nick turned and hurried after the retreating man. "Claudia Brown." He circled around and faced Lester, desperate. "Claudia Brown, she's been with us since the beginning. She was in charge of the day to day running of the anomaly operation."

"No." Lester shook his head. "It's Leek, Oliver Leek."

"_Who_?" Chloe asked, confused.

Lester shot her a look. "You can't have forgotten him, you saw him at the ARC this morning."

"The what?" Chloe frowned, eyes narrowing.

"The ARC." Abby came towards her, obviously worried. "The Anomaly Research Center."

"No, no, you mean the Home Office." Nick shook his head.

"No mate." Connor shared a look with Abby. "We moved from that place ages ago."

The news obviously disoriented Nick, who looked around him at the forest blankly, almost as if he was about to pass out.

Lester continued on uncaringly towards his car.

Chloe rushed to her father, grabbing him when he stumbled, her arm around his body. "Hold it together."

"You remember, you _do_." Nick looked down at her almost desperately.

She nodded, just as confused as he was about what was going on now in this alternate reality whatever they'd done wrong in the past had created.

If no one could remember Claudia Brown...and they now worked in some place called the ARC...what _else_ could have changed in this new world of theirs?

Was Ben alright?

Was he even still alive?

Her stomach clenched in fear.

"I-I'm fine." Nick whispered, breathy, clearly _not_ fine, but needing some space.

Chloe let go of him and watched as he stumbled towards where the cars were parked.

She took in a deep breath, not so steady herself, and turned towards where the anomaly had been.

What had they _done_?

Where was Claudia?

Did she even _exist_ in this timeline?

A hand came down on her shoulder, causing her to cry out in shock as she turned, looking up at Stephen.

"You're trembling." He whispered, drawing her around and into him, wrapping his arms around her tightly, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

She held onto Stephen because he was the only thing that seemed unchanged.

He was strong.

Dependable.

And there for her.

Chloe clutched the front of his shirt and tried to calm herself, tried to fight the desire to just break down and cry. "He's not insane you know." She whispered. "I remember her too."

Stephen just held her tighter, not saying a thing.

She took in a deep breath.

Stephen did as well. "Chloe-about-about what happened with Helen-what she said about me and her-it was a mistake in the past. I know I should have told you but I was so worried that you'd-."

"Stephen," Chloe pulled away and looked up at him. "What happened between you and my mother, happened in the past. It was a mistake. I'm sure Nick will understand. You _did_ choose him just now."

"I didn't-." Stephen frowned at her. "You're really mad at me, aren't you?" He sighed, looking down. "And you have every right to be. I-I should have told you a long time ago."

"You should have told _Nick_." Chloe replied, pulling away completely and hugging herself, looking at the woods. "It has to do with _him_, anyway. Not me."

"Not have to do with-?" Stephen turned her back towards him, frowning. "It has_ just as much_ to do with you as it does _Cutter_!"

"Why?" She raised an eyebrow. "Because they're my parents?"

He looked down at her, frowning darker. "Not just because of that and you _know_ it."

She frowned, not understanding what he was getting at.

"I'm _sorry_." And Stephen _really_ looked sorry. "It was stupid and it's all in the past. She means _nothing_ to me now. _Nothing_."

"Fine." Chloe looked up at him, a bit confused as to why he was so worked up about this with her.

If anything he should be saying these things to Nick.

Stephen sighed, closing his eyes. "You're really pissed."

"No, I'm _not_." Chloe placed her hand on his shoulder, not knowing why it bothered him so much how she'd react to this. "Stephen, I'm fine. I don't _care_ what you and my mother did before I was even born." She suddenly stopped and chuckled. "That makes you sound _old_, doesn't it?"

Stephen looked at her in shock. "You...really _aren't_...mad."

"Like I said, you need to be having this conversation with _Cutter_, not me." Chloe responded, turning back towards the truck.

Stephen caught up to her quickly and led her the rest of the way, opening the truck door for her.

Chloe remained silent the rest of the drive as Stephen drove them towards this ARC that existed in this new world. It was large, and impressive, and intimidating.

Inside reminded her of a hospital.

Tons of levels, halls, and painted whites and light blues.

There were security teams all over, talking about creatures they'd helped capture or sent back to their rightful time.

Stephen's arm went around Chloe's shoulder as they passed a set of lockers.

One of them had the name Chloe Sullivan-Cutter on it.

The blonde gulped as they passed it.

The rest of the team seemed quite at home in the place: Connor grabbing a skateboard and zooming down the halls, Abby going to sit down on a posh sofa in a resting area...which Stephen was leading Chloe towards.

"Why don't we have some coffee?" He asked, motioning to the coffee machine in the resting area. "It always makes you feel better."

She doubted coffee could really make up for all that had happened, but let him lead her anyway.

The blonde looked around, not recognizing any of the workers who walked passed her, waving at her and saying hello, all calling her by her name as if they knew her very well.

She could see Nick going through the same thing as he continued down the hallway.

Gaze going to Stephen, who was preoccupied with getting their coffee, Chloe left him and journeyed after her father, as Nick pushed open a pair of doors and entered another space.

She followed after him and did the same, eyes widening as she gazed at what must be the Command Central.

All around there were workers, and above were men with guns, circling and protecting.

There were glass panels that gave a view into rooms where scientists were studying, workers working...a busy beehive.

"What have we got?" Lester asked, heading towards a skinny balding man.

"New creature reports." The man declared. "An intercepted emergency call at the Castle Cross shopping mall. Security guard screaming something about a monster."

"A shopping mall?" Lester sighed. "God help us."

Chloe's gaze went to her father, who was ahead of her, just looking around, obviously as dazed as she was.

The doors swung open behind her to show Stephen. "You worried me!"

"Sorry." She gave him a weak smile, before pointing discreetly to the thin man next to Lester. "Who is that?"

Stephen sent her a worried look. "Do you _really_ not know who that is?"

She looked up at him, lost, and knowing it showed.

Stephen looked down at her, so worried it was painful.

"I've instructed the police to stay out until we've investigated." The man with Lester announced before looking up and seeing Nick, smiling. "Oh, Professor! Glad to see you back well and safe. Though I gather your wife won't be joining us."

Nick frowned at him. "Who the hell are you?"

"Oh yes, Professor Cutter's suffering from some kind of stress-related amnesia." Lester announced as Abby and Connor entered the room as well, clasping his hands behind his back. "Miss Sullivan seems to be suffering from the same symptoms. Considering she has no recollections of the two years she spent in her first anomaly I think this may be a side effect of some kind to being a certain amount of time through the anomaly itself."

Chloe frowned.

This wasn't amnesia!

She remembered!

Just-she remembered the _other_ world.

"They've seemed to have forgotten, well, pretty much everything really." Lester continued.

"No, I haven't forgotten a thing." Nick frowned. "Wish I could."

"Now he's being enigmatic as well." Lester despaired. "What a vivid repertoire." He motioned to the man next to him. "You really telling me you don't know who this man is?"

Nick hesitated, before turning back and looking at Chloe, a question in his blue eyes.

She shook her head no, not having the faintest clue who he was either and communicating that to her father.

A decision made, Nick turned back to Lester and cleared his throat. "No, of course, it's Leek, Oliver Leek. I know exactly who he is."

Chloe hugged herself.

"Is this some kind of industrial action or did no one hear that we have a creature-sighting in a shopping mall?" Lester folded his arms over his chest.

Connor turned to Abby, both wary. "Let's go."

Nick nodded, turning and walking with those two, out of the Command Center.

Chloe hesitated, turning towards Lester and Leek, before following after, Stephen silent at her side as they walked a good distance behind the others.

"You really _don't_ know who Leek is." Stephen commented as they continued to walk together.

"Never seen him before in my whole life." Chloe whispered, still hugging herself.

"So you're saying that something's changed because of what happened in the Permian anomaly." He frowned, obviously trying to digest this, believe it. "Something changed in the past and that changed the course of the future, making a new, alternate reality of sorts?"

"I think so." The blonde looked up at him. "Stephen," she reached out and grabbed his arm. "I've never been in this building before in my _life_. I don't know these people. Claudia should be _here_." She took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "The only thing familiar, are you, Abby, Connor...and Lester. Everything else is _different_."

He looked down at her, silent.

"I'm not crazy." She whispered, although she felt as if she were.

His face shifted with emotion as he raised his hand to cup her cheek. "I know that. And I believe you."

"You_ do_?" The blonde felt so relieved she could cry. "_Thank you_." She hugged him tightly. "You don't know how much this means to me."

He held her tight. "We're going to have to sit down tonight and figure out what exactly has changed...other than what we already know."

"That sounds great." She smiled, pulling away, and as they drove to Castle Cross shopping mall she still smiled because at least Stephen believed them.

In the mall's parking lot Stephen pulled out weapons from the chest in the back of his truck, and Abby injected liquid into darts.

"What are we using?" Stephen turned to her, handing her a dart gun.

"Ketamine phenyl," Abby replied. "But it would help if I knew what size creature we were dealing with. I've had to guess the dosage."

"Where's my gun?" Connor frowned.

Stephen chuckled.

Abby smirked.

"Abby and Chloe got one!" Connor complained.

"_They_ know how to use it." Stephen replied.

Chloe looked up from the gun she was awkwardly holding.

Since when did she know how to shoot?

Connor pouted, and continued to do so as the only unarmed person in the group as they made their way into the Mall. While in the walkway of pure plate glass, they'd come upon the Duty Manager, who'd confirmed that they'd gotten a call from one of their security men that had been just screams, and they hadn't been able to raise him since. Nick had told the man to get out of there and to close the shutters behind him, which he did very quickly and happily.

The mall was humongous, a mass of shops, floors, and escalators.

Chloe found herself falling behind while Stephen made his way next to Nick up front.

Their conversation was brief and tense and from the fact that Chloe caught a word or two, she could guess that it was about Helen.

Basically Stephen had tried to clear the air and apologize for his brief affaire with Helen, and Cutter had told him he really didn't care and that he was sick of the past.

The group went up to the security room and went over the camera footage, finally able to discover what they were up against.

A raptor had been caught on one of the cameras racing through the mall.

Just great.

Cutter, of course, was fascinated by it and thought it beautiful.

Chloe just wanted it to go back to where it came from.

She'd seen the Jurassic Park movies.

She knew that she did _not_ want to be dealing with _raptors_.

They went down to the bowling alley section in the mall, tranquilizer guns at the ready.

This was where the footage showed the first security man being eaten.

Or, well, he'd gone in the space _behind_ the bowling pins and then there'd been screams.

Connor and Abby stayed behind as Stephen and Nick went to check behind the pins...where the anomaly must be.

Chloe, she went to the bathroom.

After making sure that there was nothing in there she locked the door behind her and used the toilet before going to wash her hands.

She looked up at her reflection...and froze.

Staring at her was herself.

And yet not herself.

Her hair was much longer.

And colored.

And not just _one_ color.

Her hair was her natural blonde...but with streaks of black, brown, purple and red.

She hadn't noticed because all this while her hair had been pulled back in a ponytail.

"What the _hell_?"

It didn't look bad.

And yet...and yet Chloe couldn't imagine herself actually _doing_ this to her hair.

She _definitely_ was in some sort of an alternate universe!

Hearing banging and snarling, Chloe raced out of the bathroom to find that Abby had had to close the shutter to one of the entrances to the bowling alley, a creature snarling and throwing itself against the shutter viciously, trying to get in at them.

Nick and Stephen were there with the others.

They'd hurried out of the bowling alley through the other entrance and made their way down the hall, Stephen and Nick arguing up front once more as Stephen wanted more firepower and real guns to deal with the raptors while Nick argued that messing with nature had already caused him to lose a friend and he didn't intend on letting it happen again.

Chloe had been about to get in between them when they'd spotted one of the cleaning crew, who obviously had no idea of the danger he'd been in all this time.

Abby and Connor left with the man, to get him out to safety.

Chloe stood between Stephen and Nick, feeling awkward. Those two hadn't had the time needed to talk about Helen and get things out in the open. They weren't giving their all in this mission, it was kinda obvious, and Chloe wasn't about to get either of them killed just because they had the ghost of Helen between them.

"I'm going to go back to the security room," she declared, taking a couple of steps backwards, readying her gun. "You're going to need eyes on the mall to let you know if there's any more of those things running around here."

"No." Stephen shook his head, eyes narrowed. "I don't want you running around alone."

"We don't have _time_." Chloe continued stepping backwards. "We don't know how much longer the anomaly is going to keep open, and we don't want it to close and leave _raptors_ here in our time."

As a kid, she'd always had nightmares about monsters closing in on her...and she really attributed it to the stories her 'aunt' Helen had filled her head with on her visits...so Chloe was kinda scared of running through the hall towards the security room by herself. She also didn't remember how to use a gun, this version of her obviously did, but if it meant that Stephen and Nick got some time alone to talk then it was worth it.

"_Chloe_." Stephen took a step towards her.

"She's right." Nick declared, face betraying that he wasn't happy about it. "We need eyes on the place store to make sure that we're not missing something." His blue gaze trained on her. "Be careful."

"Always." Blowing a quick kiss to them, Chloe turned and began running back the way they'd came.

"Chloe!" Stephen yelled after her, but Nick stopped him when he moved to follow her, grabbing his arm.

The girl turned the corner and stopped, taking in a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

If she came up against a raptor she really didn't stand a chance, did she?

Closing her eyes once more, breathing in and out, in and out, the blonde continued towards the security room, quiet as she could be, eyes alert. There were a few minor scares that proved to be nothing, and when she turned the corner to the room that had eyes on the whole mall, she stopped.

The door to the security room was open.

Had they left it open when they'd left?

Gulping, gun ahead of her, the blonde slowly entered the room, trying to scan the darkness.

Reaching blindly to the side, her hand found the light switch and flipped it on, revealing the empty room.

Taking a deep breath out in relief, Chloe relaxed and turned to close the door behind her, coming face to face with a raptor.

Screaming, Chloe grabbed the door and flung it closed just as the creature pounced at her, managing to close it before the dinosaur head butted it. The door dented, the wood cracking slightly under the pressure.

Shakily raising her gun, trained on the door, Chloe breathed in and out, her body heating up with her terror, the world seeming brighter around her.

The raptor roared, continuing to head-butt the door, cracking the wood more and more as it tried to get in at her.

Realizing that her hand was shaking too much to have the chance of ever getting a clear shot even if she _did_ have some talent with guns, Chloe looked around her, frantic, trying to find another escape route.

And yet there was nothing.

Somehow, being in the modern era, trapped, made her more terrified than when she'd travelled the anomalies.

Maybe because it was just _wrong_ for these creatures to be in this time.

The pounding on the door stopped.

Chloe turned her attention back to the door that was all cracks, and then movement to her right caught her attention and she saw on the cameras that the man Abby and Connor had been taking out to safety had somehow gotten injured, and was lying on the ground with his neck bleeding. Abby was unconscious on the ground as well, but didn't seem to be bleeding, which could only be a good sign. Connor was the only one standing, gun in hand, a baby raptor tranquilized at his feet. He looked around him, confused, before wincing at Abby.

Only then did Chloe see the dart sticking out of Abby's leg.

Connor had accidentally shot and tranquilized her.

No _wonder _he looked so scared.

Abby was going to _kill_ him when she woke up.

Chloe couldn't help but smirk when Connor loaded Abby onto a loading cart of sorts and dragged her behind him out of the place, obviously looking for Stephen and Nick.

She dialed Connor's cell, watching him stop and frantically search his pockets for his cellular, before answering.

"Hello?" Connor asked.

"You _shot_ her?" Chloe shook her head.

Connor looked all around him. "How-?"

"Big Brother's always watching." She replied.

He looked round and located one of the many cameras, giving her a little half wave. "Cutter and Stephen with you?"

"No, they're..." she searched for them on the cameras and finally found them, sitting on a walkway, a sedated adult raptor unconscious between them. She sent Connor the directions and ended the phone call, looking down at the buttons on the panel before her. She'd never used a system like this before, but she had always had a way with technology, and in seconds the screen with Nick and Stephen on it zoomed in on them, and the volume rose so that she could hear what they were saying.

_"Look at it," Nick gazed down at the raptor in fascination. "Just a perfect killing machine." He kept his blue eyes on the creature. "Do you know, in a fair fight, mammals wouldn't stand a chance."_

_"Well as a mammal I'm all in favor of cheating." Stephen replied, back against the plate glass railing of the over-walk. He stared at Nick before sighing, looking away. "Yeah, about the gun...um..." He looked at Nick, repentant. "I was wrong."_

_Nick nodded. "Ah, never mind." He smiled sadly. "Listen, you could have gone with Helen, you could have left, but you didn't. And right now, that's all that really matters. So..." He finally looked up at Stephen. "So just forget about the rest."_

_"Think she'll be back?" Stephen made a face._

_Nick sneered. "You mean, do I think she's finished messing with us?" He shook his head. "I seriously doubt it. Helen never handled rejection particularly well."_

_Stephen smirked, amused, before taking in a deep breath and looking down. "Nick...I just want...I'd never hurt Chloe. You know that, right?"_

_Nick blinked, looking a little confused at the change in topic. "Of course I know that."_

Chloe, from where she was spying on them, made a face as well.

What did _she_ have to do with any of this?

_"I'd die for her." Stephen pressed, face determined._

_Nick looked at him before nodding. "I know that, Stephen. You two have always been very close."_

_Stephen took in a deep breath. "It's just that, with our lives and how things are going right now, I've been wanting to talk to you for a while." He ran his hands over his brown hair, looking a little agitated. "I never thought I'd be doing this. I never thought the one I'd be asking was you of all people. I mean. You're Cutter. My best friend. My mentor. I never thought I'd be intimidated by just the thought of asking you something in my life." He gave a little sheepish laugh. "I never thought I'd have to ask you."_

_Nick looked just as confused as Chloe felt._

_"I never thought I'd do this, ever, in my life. Thought I wasn't that type of man. But I want to be that type of man." Stephen looked so sincere. "And I want to do this right. So I need to talk to you." He cleared his throat. "And by now you probably already know what I'm stumbling to ask you for."_

_Nick's eyebrow was raised, his expression stumped. "I can honestly say that I haven't the faintest idea what you're trying to get at."_

_Stephen sighed, leaning his head down before looking up again, determined. "Nick, I'm-."_

_"Professor Cutter! Stephen!" Connor called, interrupting the men's confusing conversation._

Shaking her head, Chloe decided that she'd had enough time spying, and instead did what she should have done from the beginning, checking the other cameras. From what she could see there was only one other raptor out there, and it was circling outside the door to the security room.

Turning towards the door, Chloe gulped, wondering what exactly she should do.

Giving a scream when her cellular began to ring, Chloe closed her eyes, telling herself to calm down, and answered. "Sullivan."

"I thought you were trying to go by Sullivan-Cutter now?" Stephen's voice greeted her.

"I was?" Chloe blinked, confused.

He sighed. "At least you're okay." There was a pause. "You _are_ okay, right?"

"Yeah." She sent the door a look. "Everywhere looks clean. There's only one raptor left."

"Where?" He wanted to know, sounding like he was walking rapidly, cocking his gun.

"Outside my door." Chloe gulped, hearing the creature whining on the other side.

"I'm on my way." Stephen then ended the phone call.

Suddenly, as if sensing that its time was running out, the raptor roared and threw itself at the already weakened door.

Screaming, Chloe dropped her cellular and raised her gun just as the raptor threw itself against the door once more, this time breaking through, stumbling into the room.

Chloe fired the gun.

The dart imbedded itself into the skull of the creature and then dropped off when it roared and shook its head violently.

Chloe quickly reloaded the gun with another dart and raised the gun, shooting it into the raptor's throat as it lunged for her, knocking the gun out of her hand and crashing behind her into the camera system, causing electricity to spark brightly.

Chloe stood there, back to the door, body shaking in terror as the creature pulled itself out of the wreckage and turned to her. It must have a helluvan immune system because the tranquilizers weren't working.

The room was brighter.

She was hot.

Her body shook.

The raptor opened its mouth wide, teeth gleaming, breath humid and rotten, bathing her face with its stench.

Suddenly there was a flash to her right, and the feeling of something brushing past her cheek, before the large dart imbedded itself deep inside of the raptor's throat.

It roared and pulled away, shaking its head, trying to loosen the dart inside of its mouth to no avail.

Chloe turned, shocked, and was pulled into Stephen's chest as he slung an arm around her and held her tightly while raising his gun and letting off another shot.

Finally the raptor succumbed to the tranquilizer, collapsing to the ground.

"You have _really_ good timing." Chloe whispered into Stephen's shirt.

"I try." He replied, dropping the gun and cupping her face, looking down at her, worried. "Are you okay? Were you hurt?"

"Not a scratch." She promised, smiling up at him.

"Just how I like you." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then turned to the raptor. "Lets get this ugly with the others."

Which proved to be as hard as it sounded.

The raptor was heavy, and dragging it across the mall floor wasn't easy.

They finally made it to the bowling alley, where the others were, Connor and Nick talking, Abby still unconscious on the carpet.

Apparently not only had the cleaner who'd been injured disappeared, but Nick had discovered while passing one of the electronics stores, that a certain radio channel was picking up interference from the anomaly...which meant that they could have a chance of finding a way of tapping into that and finding out when anomalies opened within moments of their appearances.

Connor was already geeking over the possibilities.

Chloe watched as Stephen and Nick put the raptors onto the loading cart Connor had had Abby on previously. The raptors were a bit big for it, their limbs hanging down to the ground, but it would work.

Connor sat down next to a snoring Abby.

"Ready?" Stephen asked Nick.

Cutter nodded and together they raced, pushing the cart forwards and then letting go as they reached the anomaly, sending it and the raptors on it flying through the light, disappearing on the other side.

Stephen then grabbed his gun and raised it, pointing to the anomaly in case anything else should come out before it closed.

Nick gazed at the anomaly, temptation obvious on his face, before he went to stand next to Chloe, gaze still on the anomaly.

"Thank you." Chloe whispered, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"For what?" He whispered, arm going around her.

"For not trying to go through that anomaly. For not trying to find a way to change things back to the way they were." She bit her bottom lip. "I don't think its possible."

"I might end up wiping out everyone in the world in my quest to change things back." Cutter sighed, lowering his head, proving that he _had_ thought it over. "I just got you back, Chloe, and I'm not going to risk losing you again." He gave her a little squeeze. "I don't know how to be a father...but I want to be one...to you."

She smiled and looked up at him. "We're going to be just fine."

He smiled down at her.

"Claudia-just because she doesn't work here anymore doesn't mean she doesn't _exist_." Chloe continued on. "She could be a nurse or something."

Nick grinned. "I hadn't thought about that."

"I'll help you look for her." Chloe promised. "If she's here, we'll find her."

Nick hugged her tightly before pulling away. "Are you going to look for that sweetheart of yours?"

Chloe gulped, looking down, Ben's smiling face flashing before her eyes. "I need to know that he's okay...that he still exists."

Father and daughter could understand each other so well.

Suddenly the anomaly closed.

And the radios worked once more.

It proved Nick's theory.

Now, with this knowledge, they'd be able to pick up whenever anomalies opened...and not wait for a creature attack to clue them in.

The team returned back to the ARC, and Chloe found her way to a computer with Internet on it, hesitating only a second before logging onto her old facebook account, shocked to find the password the same as it was in the other world. But other than that there were many vast differences in this facebook and her old inactive one. One was that, according to her info, she'd never gone to Smallville High, instead had gone to some school in Metropolis before finishing her secondary education in some high school in Maine. Her old friends consisted of pictures of people Chloe had never seen before, Clark Kent, Lana Lang, Pete Ross and so many others not there.

Considering that, considering that for some reason her father hadn't moved to Smallville but to Maine...she hadn't been in Metropolis when Ben had gone there. She'd never met Ben in this timeline...even if he actually existed!

A cry choked Chloe as her whole world crumbled around her.

Nausea churned in her stomach, and she logged out, trying to remember to breathe.

Images of her and Ben, of the way he smelt, held her-how his voice always changed to a softer pitch when he spoke to her or of her-they haunted her.

She remembered the last time she'd seen him, how their hands had been entwined, hope filling both of them.

And then another anomaly had come and ruined it.

Again.

She wanted to cry.

She wanted to _scream_.

But she couldn't.

Not here.

Not now.

Stephen poked his head in the room and smiled when he saw her. "There you are. Lester's calling us for a meeting. Apparently we're having a new member join."

"A new member?" Chloe pushed back her anguish, refusing to let it out until she was safe and alone at home. She stood and joined him in the hall as they made their way to the Command Center, as she liked to call it.

"Apparently its some bloke who'll be in charge of the PR, make up excuses to the press to hide what we're doing from the outside world." Stephen replied as they went to stand next to Nick, Abby, and Connor.

"Good, everyone's here." Lester announced. "She should be here in a moment."

"She?" Chloe frowned. "I'm not used to everything British-but I thought only _guys_ were called blokes."

"They are." Stephen assured her.

"Yes, well, apparently our new _man_ is actually a _woman_." Lester announced, as the doors swung open. "Ah! And here she is now."

"Hello." A female voice announced as the woman walked into the room.

Chloe's eyes widened as she turned towards the voice.

"I'd like you all to meet your new colleague." Lester announced. "This is Jennifer Lewis."

Chloe's gaze went to her father immediately, seeing his eyes widen in shock when he finally turned to look at the new recruit, having been previously engaged in talking to Connor.

"I'm Jenny." The woman smiled, coming closer. "Nice to meet you all."

"_Claudia Brown_." Nick whispered.

Chloe reached out and grabbed Stephen's hand.

This was insane!

She didn't know how she got through that introduction, acting as if she didn't know this woman from a previous life, by a different name. Chloe had to admit that she was kinda in shock, so she was so grateful for Stephen when he drove her to her (new, mind you) home and opened the door for her, leading her into the abnormally warm flat.

The sound of tiny feet hitting the floor was the only warning before Baby, thankfully still existing in this universe, appeared from the bedroom, making a happy little noise to see them.

Chloe smiled and reached down, picking up her baby Bagaceratops and hugging her to her heart. "Thank _god_ you're still around."

Baby just nuzzled her.

Stephen grinned and reached over, rubbing the baby dinosaur's head. "You're too spoiled."

Chloe stuck her tongue out at him.

He laughed and pulled off his jacket, hanging it up on the coat rack by the door, and taking hers, placing it there too. "How about some tea before we talk about what you were telling me this morning?"

"Uh, sure...but I don't know where anything is." Chloe flinched. "This wasn't my apartment back home."

For a second a troubled expression crossed Stephen's face, and then he shook his head, heading ahead. "I'll get it, why don't you just sit down, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded, going to the living room and sitting down, petting Baby, and gazing down at the happy little creature. "Mommy's not insane. Really. She isn't."

Baby made a little noise and climbed out of her lap, jumping to the floor and heading to where Stephen had gone.

Chloe sighed, watching her till she disappeared, and then looked to the side.

A smile touched her lips as she reached out and picked up the picture frame her gaze had landed on, bringing it to her so she could look down at it. She had no memory of posing in this picture with Stephen, Nick, Connor and Abby, but it was obvious that it had been a very happy moment.

Finally Stephen returned and placed two cups of steaming tea on the coffee table in front of them before collapsing on the sofa next to her, placing his hand on her thigh. "Don't worry, we'll get through this, okay?"

Chloe smiled and turned to him, putting down the picture frame. "You don't know how much your believing me means, Stephen."

He smiled, eyeing her tenderly. "I know you, Chloe, and no matter how insane it sounds, if you believe it and say its true, then I trust you, and I believe you."

Chloe smiled back at him. "You're kinda awesome."

Chuckling, Stephen shook his head and reached out, cupping her jaw, before leaning over and pressing his lips to hers in a deep, intense kiss.

Chloe's body froze, her eyes wide, and she squeaked before pushing him away, jumping to her feet. "Stephen!"

He stood. "That wasn't a prelude to sex. I know this is important and you need to talk about it. And I will listen. And even if you just want to sleep tonight then I'm fine with just spooning you, if that's what you need."

Chloe looked at him, utterly confused.

He-what the hell was he talking about?

"When we moved in together I told you I was serious about this, that it wasn't just passion." Stephen reached for her, cupping her cheek once more and smiling down at her. "I love you baby, and we're going to get through this, don't worry, okay? We'll figure out what's going on, what's changed, and we'll find a way to deal with it."

Chloe looked up at him, heart racing, a big reality of this world slapping her violently in the face.

"Stephen?" Her voice shook with shock and confusion.

"Yeah, love?" He whispered, staring deep into her eyes.

Chloe pulled away quickly, gaze going to the pictures all around them.

While the others had pictures of the team as a whole, most of the pictures had Chloe and Stephen together.

They were grinning, holding each other, kissing.

They were a couple.

They were living together.

In this flat.

Chloe looked back at Stephen, eyes wide.

"_Oh my god_."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

**Review?**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't own Primeval/Smallville

Sequel to: Primeval - Season one

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

_"Sorry."_

_Chloe looked up at that accent and her heart began to speed rapidly in her chest._

_He was handsome._

_He was very handsome._

_"I wasn't looking where I was going." She gave him a small smile, hating herself for how awkward she always seemed to get whenever faced with someone even mildly good looking._

_And this guy was much more than just 'mildly' good looking._

_He smiled at her, his hazel eyes seeming to track every feature of her face before his smile grew a bit wider. "I'm Ben." His hand was large, and when hers slid against it in a handshake she could feel it calloused. "Ben Becker, Tourist."_

_"Chloe Sullivan." She smiled. "Local."_

_"Have you lived in Metropolis all your life?" Ben asked, clearing his throat as he clasped his hands behind him, back straight, shoulders wide._

_"Oh, no, I just work here, at the Daily Planet. But I live in Smallville, it's a town about an hour's distance from here." Chloe smiled, shocked that he was pursuing a conversation with her. "I'm a junior reporter." Her gaze worshipped his body before raising to his face once more. "What do you do?"_

_He hesitated a second, before smiling. "Accounting."_

_This was good._

_Accountants were said to be somewhat boring and very dependable._

_She needed boring and dependable in her life._

_She _**_craved_**_ it._

_"Will you be staying long in Metropolis?" Chloe was shocked to hear herself ask this._

_Ben smiled, apparently pleased. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight and find out?"_

_She looked up at him, a little dazed, and not caring that he had sidestepped her question, or that a strand of hair had fallen in her face. "Dinner?"_

_"Yes. Dinner." Ben replied, taking a step towards her, reaching out and softly brushing the strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear. "You can pick the place, and just give me directions."_

_Chloe couldn't speak, confused._

_Guys-they didn't just do this with her._

_She wasn't Lana Lang. Or Lois Lane._

_And yet..._

_She grinned. "I know just the place."_

Gasping, Chloe looked around her at the darkness of the room, disoriented, heart racing. For a minute she couldn't figure out where she was and it scared her, the room foreign, and then she remembered...the new timeline and every changed circumstance crashing upon her as it did every day. She didn't know Ben in this timeline, Claudia Brown was Jenny Lewis, and somehow Chloe was in a relationship with Stephen. Or the other her had been. She guess she still was. She didn't know, wasn't sure.

Stephen had taken it very hard when he'd found out that in her timeline they hadn't been in a relationship, that there was someone else in her life then. Chloe had thought that maybe the best thing for her to do was to move out and spend some time with her father while they tried to sort things out by Stephen had convinced her to stay with him, stating how Baby was used to their home and how it was already 'baby dinosaur proof'. He also hadn't wanted her gone, was willing to stay in the guest room and give her all the space and privacy she needed. She hadn't seen a reason to move out after that. Stephen had been her best friend in her world, and she couldn't tell him no and hurt him more than he already was hurting. The pain he was feeling, the longing, it was obvious and painful, guilt-inducing.

"You were dreaming about him again."

Chloe stifled a scream, hand going to her mouth, gaze racing to the open door.

Stephen leaned against the doorway, face covered by shadows yet his body language and voice telling her everything she couldn't see on his face.

Chloe drew the sheets up to her chest, clearing her throat, trying to repress the feeling of being adulterous.

She looked down, not sure what to do.

In this world she was with Stephen, had been with him for a long time with the amount of pictures and memories and such in this flat could be counted on. She'd never gone to Smallville, never met Ben, never shared the connection she had with him. And yet, and yet not a night went by without her dreaming of him. If Ben even existed in this new world he wouldn't know her, wouldn't have the memories that plagued her, wouldn't share the feelings that she just couldn't shake...no matter how hard she tried. She couldn't get the hazel-eyed SAS captain out of her every thought. It was so pathetic. She was pathetic.

Stephen didn't deserve this.

Chloe was trying to make this work, trying to move on, for Stephen, Ben, and herself.

But it was hard.

"I can't control what I dream." She whispered.

"I know." Stephen responded, leaning his head back hard against the doorframe. "Doesn't mean I have to like it. You say that you were living in a world in which not only weren't we together-but you had someone else."

"We weren't-Ben and I-we were friends...trying to be...I-." Chloe sighed and closed her eyes. "It's complicated."

Her whole life was complicated.

Not just the romantic aspect of it.

Claudia Brown existed in this reality as a woman named Jenny Lewis, who had no memory of being Claudia. She worked as the PR of the ARC, and really didn't believe that there were dinosaurs or such. She thought they were all pulling her leg or something, and the fact that they had yet to have an anomaly happen kept her in her little delusion.

At least they had some good news.

Every time an anomaly opened it gave off a burst of radio interference. They hadn't spotted it before because they hadn't been looking for it. With this knowledge they could build a machine that would detect said interference, similar to how one could track down a pirate radio station. They were also trying to develop a handheld detector to work within short distances.

With this technology they'd be able to spot the anomalies as soon as they opened.

Connor was supervising the work, it had been Nick's recommendation and the boy was in geek heaven.

"I'm trying to understand, Chloe." Stephen pushing away from the doorframe and stepping into what had once been 'their' room, moonlight falling upon his face, betraying the mixture of emotions varying from understanding to resentment. "But I can't. I can't handle this like an adult. I'm pissed and jealous and I want to beat up this man who has, in this world anyway, done nothing to make me hate him." He moved towards the window and looked outside of it, giving her his back as his fingers tightened on the window frame. "You don't understand because you can't remember it. If you could just _remember_ all we've been through, then it will be alright. Everything will be alright again."

Chloe watched him, feeling like a terrible person.

This while week she'd been battling herself, her memories, her doubts, and Stephen had been by her side through all of it. He'd been steadfast and rock solid even though nothing sexual happened between them. He was a good man who didn't deserve what he was getting.

To be truthful, Chloe felt ridiculous.

Here was an amazing man, wanting to be with her, loving her, and what was she doing?

She was holding onto a ghost.

Onto a man who didn't know her.

A man who probably never would.

"I wish I remembered." She finally admitted, hugging her . "I wish to _god_ I remembered our first date, or our first kiss." She stared deep into his eyes and begged him to believe her. "I wish I could remember the first time I realized I loved you as more than a friend. But I don't remember, Stephen. I truly don't. And I know its not fair to you, but it's not easy for me either."

"I know." Stephen sighed, turning towards her. "But it's _killing_ me, love. You have to understand that this can't be easy for me. I'm sleeping in the guest bedroom! You don't even remember the first time I told you that you were beautiful for fucksake!"

"Well, I don't know about _this_ timeline," the blonde interrupted, lowering her gaze and nibbling on her bottom lip before looking up. "But in _mine_ you were delirious the first and only time you said that to me."

Stephen blinked. "Delirious?"

"Yeah, it was my first case since waking up after my Time Jump. These bug creatures from the Carboniferous era leaked into the Underground, and you got bitten by an Arthropleurid, which is basically this huge centipede on steroids." She shook her head at the memory. "As the medics took you away, Nick said that you were delirious, and I didn't believe him until you looked at me and told me I was beautiful." She snorted in amusement. "I knew then that you were very much delirious."

He looked down at her, silently.

"You then asked me to have dinner with you, and considering you could be dying and I was terribly bored having to be at the Home Office all the time, I naturally accepted." Chloe was lost in her memories. "We then devised a plan, got the venom from the centipede so the doctors could make an antivenom for you, and I stayed in the hospital with you the whole time until they pronounced you out of danger."

Stephen tilted his head slightly. "Did we go to dinner?"

"Yes." She snorted with laughter, bringing a hand to her mouth.

"That doesn't sound very good." The tracker frowned, eyeing her.

"Oh, it was great!" Chloe disagreed with a chortle. "You gave me this _huge_ knife as a thank you gift for staying by your side the whole time, and the people at the restaurant kept giving us these terrified looks! The waiters tried to tell you that you couldn't keep that knife in the restaurant and you said it was so you could cut your steak because it was done so badly."

Stephen's lips twitched. "That sounds like something I would say."

"In the end you intimidated the waiters so much they let us keep the knife, and we spent most of the night just talking and getting to know each other." Chloe responded. "I told you about Smallville, you told me about your life and about your girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Stephen blinked.

"Yeah, I think her name was Susan?" Chloe frowned, unable to remember. "Anyway, she studied rare diseases, and I made a crack asking if she'd ever given you any, and you choked on your saliva. But _unfortunately_ the guy at the table next to us thought you were choking on food, and rushed over to administer the Heimlich Maneuver. Vigorously. Despite your loud protests."

Stephen could only cover his face with his hand in horror. "Please tell me you're making this all up."

"Oh, no, it all really happened." Chloe laughed, shaking her head. "It was a _very_ exciting night."

He groaned. "No _wonder_ you didn't consider me dating material in the other timeline. As far as first dates go, that was a complete _failure_."

"I don't know about _failure_." Chloe shook her head, hair falling into her face. "It was probably the first time since I got lost in time that I actually, genuinely laughed. For a while I wasn't sure if I really _could_ laugh like that again. Open. Honest. Not _trying _to but actually _feeling_ the gut-wrenching need to hold my stomach since I was laughing so hard it _hurt_." Her smiled was nostalgic. "It felt good to realize that I could."

Stephen pulled his hands from his face and just looked down at her, before reaching the bed and sitting on the edge, cupping the side of her face.

She stared down at him, heart skipping a beat in surprise. "Stephen?"

"We should get some shut-eye." His thumb caressed her cheek. "Tomorrow's another day at the office."

"Right." She whispered. "Good night, Stephen."

"G'night." He whispered, getting up and leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Helen Cutter wanted to know what the _hell_ was going on.

When she'd purposely injured herself so that when she returned there would be pity mixed with any other emotion in the others' eyes...no one was where they were supposed to be! She'd gone to Stephen's place, knowing that out of all of them Stephen was the weakest when it came to her. She'd always been able to control him, manipulate his emotions, and she knew that if she appeared in his flat injured and in need of help that he wouldn't kick her out.

But then that plan had been blown to bits when she broke into the flat and found it empty of anything Stephen Hart's, and instead filled and decorated with pinks and purples. Apparently Stephen must have recently moved from this flat and some _hideously_ girly person had rented it after him.

That had been a disappointment, since Helen was sure she would have been able to get a lot more out of Stephen then anyone else, but she hadn't survived in the prehistoric ages on her looks alone. She was cunning, vigilant, and smart.

But she wasn't very patient.

And she _might_ have lost her temper when she broke into her daughter's flat and realized that it was completely empty. Not only didn't Chloe live there anymore, but apparently no one had for a while now, which confused Helen but she put it out of her mind. She had other things to worry about.

Like the fact that she'd apparently injured herself for nothing.

And _that_ pissed her off.

She was forced to tend to her own wounds (which, thankfully, weren't all that deep) and then sat in the empty flat wondering what her next move should be. Helen was used to her plans coming together, so this was frustrating.

She gazed out the window onto London, frowning.

At least she had a place to stay while trying to figure out her next move.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Nick Cutter didn't like this new timeline and wished it'd never been created. He sometimes dreamt that they went back to _that_ moment in time, and that whatever they'd done wrong in the past was corrected, so that things continued the way they were _supposed_ to.

In the _real_ timeline, Jenny Lewis didn't exist. This posh, snobbish, aristocratic brunette wasn't here at all. Instead, there was sweet, spunky, redheaded Claudia Brown. She'd warned him not to go back, she'd _pleaded_ with him, telling him that she felt something was wrong.

But he hadn't listened to her...

...And had ended up erasing her from the timeline.

He still couldn't forgive himself for this.

Especially not now that he had to see this doppelganger of her, Jenny Lewis, every single day.

"I'm just saying that you can't deny you have a sweat tooth." Chloe declared, to the amusement of Abby and Connor, and the annoyance of Stephen.

"I do _not_ have a sweat tooth." Stephen glared at Chloe, though there was really no heat behind it at all.

"Stephen. I _live_ with you! I _know_ you do!" Chloe argued her point, reminding Nick of yet _another_ change that had been brought on in this timeline.

His daughter was in a relationship with the man who'd had an affair with her mother.

Nick always felt a little sick when he thought about it.

Of course he could find it in him to forgive Stephen for what had happened so many years ago, but Nick found it harder to condone this relationship that had developed between his daughter and Stephen in this timeline. And he knew that Chloe was finding it odd as well. Stephen had always been her best friend, a close confidant, and now she'd arrived in a world in which she _lived_ with Stephen and Baby...and Nick didn't want her trying to force herself to be with the man just because she didn't think it unfair to him if she didn't.

"Nick!"

He looked up, watching his daughter approach, wondering when she was going to call him 'dad' again.

"You looked lost in your own world." Chloe smiled as she sidled next to him. "How are you today?"

"Relatively well considering that we're in the wrong _world_." Nick muttered, looking around the ARC once more. "I just can't get used to any of this. I feel like I've gone bloody insane. Not to mention _Claudia_."

The smile melted off of her face as she reached out and rubbed his arm. "Jenny, Cutter, her name is _Jenny_ now. You need to start calling her that."

"I know." Nick frowned, not happy at all. "I just don't understand what we could have done that has altered the timeline so much."

"Me neither." Chloe hugged herself, frown deep on her face. "I keep going over it over and over again, but all I can remember is Tom Ryan dying in my arms." She cleared her throat and looked away. "I can't remember anything else...anything that could have done this at least."

Nick nodded, having gone over his memories over and over as well. "Talking about changes...have you been able to find your Ben?"

She flinched, going paler, hugging herself tighter as she looked away. "No." She closed her eyes. "Either he's someone else like Jenny...or he doesn't exist anymore."

Seeing the pain the second option brought her, Nick hugged his daughter tightly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm sure he's out there, somewhere."

Chloe nodded wordlessly, hugging him tight, before letting go. "I need to let go and just stop looking, I'm going to go insane if I don't...and it's not fair to Stephen."

"I think Stephen's bloody well getting more than he deserves right now." Nick frowned, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Chloe, _you_ are not the one who was in a relationship with him. You do _not_ have to stay with him just because the _other_ you was with him. The _other_ you didn't have _Ben_. You do."

"This me or other me, it's still _me_ Nick." Chloe sighed. "And I know what Stephen did with Helen was inexcusable, but ever since then he's done nothing but prove his loyalty to you-especially back at the Anomaly. I know its hard, and that once broken trust is hard to find again, but Stephen has no interest in Helen anymore."

"No, he doesn't, because he has her _daughter_." Nick snapped, unable to keep that silent anymore. "Don't you find that _disturbing_? I know _I_ do!"

"_Nick_." Chloe shook her head.

"Don't 'Nick' me Chloe. You're my daughter, my only child, and I can't give my blessing to this." He stared down into her eyes, letting her know how displeased he was with the situation. "I'll always love Stephen, and I've forgiven him already for his indiscretion with your mother...but it doesn't change the fact that it was with _your mother_. It's sick and wrong to go from mother to daughter, and I won't force you to leave him, but I need you to understand that I am not happy with this and will _not_ be happy with this."

Chloe gazed up at him before raising her hand to cup his cheek tenderly. "Dad."

His heart flittered at that one word. "Yeah?"

"If-if I find I can't love Stephen the way he deserves I _will_ break it off with him," she confided softly. "But if I find I can...please let me be happy."

Nick's heart hurt when she asked him like that, and he sighed, gazing down before gazing back up, nodding.

"_Thank you_." She whispered, stepping up on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek before leading him towards where Lester was calling them.

Neither noticed Stephen leaning with his back against the other side of the wall, face blank.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

They'd received a report from the city which at first had seemed like a mere fire yet intercepted mobile calls from inside the building had leaked out information about smelly gases and a possible creature sighting. Chloe had to admit that considering the anomalies were the same in this timeline or her original one she was more than reasonably excited to be back on the job and not muddling around her personal life. Stephen had used the days they'd had eventless by brushing up on her shooting skills, and hopefully now if she had the need to shoot something she wouldn't bumble it up as much as she had last time.

"And he just _invites_ her to watch a movie with us! This _stranger_!" Abby declared in deep annoyance about her flatmate, Connor, and his apparently new 'friend' Caroline. She was on her way but had called Chloe while driving and was venting her situation to both Chloe and Stephen through the speaker option. "He swears _she_ picked him up. And wrote her number on his hand! Who _does_ that anymore?"

"He's cute." Chloe declare. "It was about time a girl picked him up. Especially if you continue to pretend you have no attraction whatsoever to him when you clearly do."

'Cute?' Stephen mouthed, making a face at her.

She grinned brightly at him, mouthing: 'You know you think so.'

Stephen's expression was disgusted as he shook his head and concentrated on the road.

"I don't like her." Abby growled, ignoring Chloe's contribution. "And neither did Rex. He tried to bite her."

"He _did_?" Stephen frowned as he parked. "Animals have good instincts you know."

"Exactly!" Abby agreed completely.

"Abby, we're getting out now, you and Connor need to get here as soon as possible." Chloe announced, ending the phone call as she and Stephen exited the truck and joined up with at Nick and Jenny, who were looking at the building.

Jenny seemed a little nervous yet refusing to show it, eyeing the building before following the other's leads when they started heading towards it. "You don't really expect me to believe all this stuff about _dinosaurs_."

"Honestly?" Nick gave her a look as he continued on. "No."

Jenny looked at him and then frowned, looking away. "Can you stop doing that, please?"

"Doing what?" He asked.

"Staring at me." She was obviously uncomfortable yet trying to hide it.

"I'm not allowed to look at you?" Nick raised an eyebrow, everyone else falling behind a little to give them some privacy for this awkward conversation.

"Not like that." Jenny could still be heard saying.

"Like what?" Nick's gaze returned to the building.

"Like you know me." She replied.

"See, I feel like I do know you." Cutter declared.

Chloe sighed, shaking her head, understanding how this could be so hard for her father to understand and react to.

"You don't, because if you did I'd be aware of it, wouldn't I?" Jenny raised an eyebrow, voice testy.

Nick snorted. "Oh, no. Not necessarily."

Jenny made a face. "Lester told me you were odd."

"Don't put too much faith in anything Lester says." Nick gave sound advice.

"I don't see why not." Jenny blinked. "He seems like a very impressive man."

Nick snorted, giving her a look before shaking his head. "You're right, I probably don't know you."

Chloe chuckled, amused by that, and sent a look in Stephen's direction, surprised to see no ounce of amusement on his face, instead it was tense. She frowned, wondering what was bothering him, but didn't ask as they bent under yellow tape and entered the cordoned off area, a firefighter stepping in front of them and blocking their way to the entrance of the building.

"You can't come in here."

"Sorry, this is a matter of national security." Jenny took over, doing her job as she pulled out her ID and showed it to the man. "Can you ask all your men to withdraw until I give you the all-clear?"

"What?" The man blinked.

"I want all these people back about half a mile." She declared in an authoritative way, obviously speaking to someone of a lower rank. "And if any of your team speak to the press, they're fired."

The man let out a breath of frustration.

"Now do as she says." Nick advised before turning to Jenny. "You always this bossy?"

She smirked at him, eyebrow raised. "I understand the object's to get the job done." She then turned and sauntered away to continue doing whatever it was she was supposed to do.

Nick shared a look with the firefighter before they turned back towards the building. "So what do we got?"

"Some kind of chemical leak." He replied with a sigh. "We got a few idiots who ignored the alarm trapped on the 14th floor. Two of my firefighters were in there as well."

"Okay." Nick nodded.

The firefighter shook his head and went to do as Jenny had ordered him.

"So we have no idea what we're up against." Chloe mumbled as the three of them began walking towards the building.

"There's the smelly gasses." Stephen reminded.

"Where are you going?" Jenny called from behind them. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Ah, you'll think of something." Cutter replied without looking back, opening the door and holding it open for Stephen and Chloe as they entered the building.

"This place smells rancid." Chloe made a face as she entered the lobby, following Stephen towards the stairs, a light layer of fog around her ankles. The men took the steps two by two, which she thought was utterly ridiculous and show-offy as she lagged behind them as they made their way up to the 14th floor.

Stephen sent her a look, noticed her lagging behind, and frowned. "If there's no fire the lifts will be safe."

She could kiss him right about now!

"You have a point." Nick agreed.

Stephen went to one of the doors that led out of the stairwell and opened it, a blanket of fog rolling over him, forcing him to pull back and shut the door, coughing, face made up in disgust. "Smells like...something rotting!"

"That's their version of the Earth's atmosphere." Nick declared. "It's probably Precambrian. It's high in sulphur and carbon dioxide."

"HELP!" A woman could be heard screaming inside. "HELP!"

Nick and Stephen shared a look before opening the door and rushing in. "Are you alright?"

Chloe hurried after them, the fog up to her hips, stopping behind the men when she saw a female firefighter holding an axe and crouching over one of the desks.

"There's something inside the fog." The firefighter exclaimed.

Stephen's eyes narrowed and he hurried further, stopping, eyes widening. "Cutter?"

Nick came towards him and stopped in shock. "Give me the ax!"

The firefighter threw it to him in time for the blonde to wield it on this huge...worm...thing...with spikes and a mouth that opened up nastily and it made a roaring sound.

All in all, it freaked the crap out of Chloe.

She somewhat preferred raptors!

Nick chopped at the thing and it hissed, spitting out this black thing that he had to duck to dodge, and then with a final blow to its head it was dead, but dark shapes in the fog warned that it hadn't been alone.

"We need to get out of here." Stephen helped the reluctant firefighter off of the desk as they turned back to the stairwell.

As the firefighter, who'd been behind them, exited the room into the stairwell one of the giant mutant worms grabbed hold of her uniform's pants, giving a jerk and causing her to fall to the ground. Chloe grabbed her arms with Stephen and pulled while Nick slammed the door repeatedly on the half-emerged body of that...thing. It shrieked and snarled yet wouldn't let go...until suddenly just...collapsing.

Dead.

Stephen helped the firefighter to her feet. "It's dead."

Chloe bent to her knees, eyeing the creature better now that it was half out of the fog. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure." Nick admitted, studying the thing.

The firefighter was obviously entering shock, pressed against the wall, eyes wide on the creature that'd almost gotten her.

"I think it might be from even back further than we thought." Nick turned to look at Stephen, showing to Chloe that despite the fact that he might not be happy with the relationship she had with Stephen, that he still respected him and saw him as his equal and partner in this whole mess. "The oxygen in our atmosphere must be like poison to it, so it can't breathe outside the fog." He gazed at the half closed door, obviously thinking of the floor...and the whole building...filled with fog.

"Yeah." Stephen agreed.

Cutter turned to Stephen once more. "Get on to Connor, tell him to think of something."

Stephen nodded, pulling out his cellular.

"They said there was a fire in the server room on the 15th floor." The firefighter shook her head. "But there wasn't, just this fog. And something glowing."

"The anomaly." Chloe stood, turning towards her.

"What?" The firefighter whispered.

"It's a long story." Chloe sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "You need to get out of here. Stick to stairs, stay out of the fog on your way down, and you should be fine."

"There's still people trapped up there!" The firefighter exclaimed.

"It's our job now to find them. You've done yours." Chloe replied, placing her hand on the woman's shoulder. "There's a brunette woman down there in stiletto shoes and an impossibly expensive looking dress. Go to her immediately and she'll tell you what to do."

The firefighter hesitated before nodding. "Keep the ax. You might need it." And with that she turned and hurried down the steps.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Seeing a female firefighter hurrying through the lobby towards the plate glass front doors, Jenny made sure to be there to intercept her immediately, her stilettos clip-clapping furiously against the tile floor in her hurry.

"Are you alright?" She asked as the woman came out through the revolving door. "What's going on?"

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me." The firefighter replied, obviously in a daze.

Jenny's eyes narrowed slightly. "Go to the police. Don't talk to anyone until I say so, and you'll be debriefed later."

"Okay." The woman nodded, hurrying away as if the devil were at her heels.

Jenny's eyes narrowed further at this action on the woman's part and looked inside the lobby through the plate glass, grabbing her phone and calling Lester.

"Ah Miss Lewis." Her boss answered. "What do you have to report to me on the situation at hand?"

"We're inside the building now, but frankly James I have no idea what's happening." She began to pace back and forth outside the revolving doors, staring within. "They won't talk to me."

"Cutter's team are very...close. Don't take anything too personal." He advised. "Just sit back and let them handle everything. They're very eccentric but they somehow manage to get the job done somehow."

"Okay." She sighed, flipping the phone closed, continuing to pace, staring inside.

What the devil was going on in there?

It looked completely normal and peaceful!

But that firefighter...

It couldn't be that those stories about _dinosaurs_...

Jenny shook her head, flipping her phone open and calling Nick Cutter. He sent her to voice mail. She growled in annoyance, about having had it with that man!

"Cutter, will someone _please_ tell me what the hell is going on in there?" She snapped at his voice mail answering machine before turning back to look through the plate glass.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

As they continued to climb the stairs at a much more leisurely pace this time, Nick's phone rang _once_ more, and Chloe watched him gaze at the Caller ID before cutting it off.

"Are you going to continue sending her to voice mail?" She asked curiously.

He shrugged, obviously not sure.

Chloe shook her head before stopping when Stephen, who was in front of them, did.

"What do we do now?" Stephen asked, gazing up at the thick fog on the stairs above them.

Nick's mobile rung again and he cut it off quicker than before, staring up before making a face. "Can't go up. The fog's too thick. The lift?" He turned to Chloe. "Maybe you should go downstairs and inform Claudia about what is going on."

"If you want _Jenny_ so well informed answer her call." Chloe replied, pushing passed him and going up to the exit of the stairwell to the twelfth floor, gazing through the small square glass box in the door at the fog on the floor. "It's thick in there."

"Chloe, maybe you should do as your father says." Stephen surprised her by saying. "It's dangerous in there."

"Exactly." Nick nodded.

Chloe turned to them, eyes narrowed. "And when are you boys going to realize that I'm not a part of this team because of my charm or good looks? I was in what we're believing to be suspended animation within an anomaly unlike any you've seen this far, and I was apparently floating there for _two years_. On top of that while I was a fetus my mother was continuously time-jumping through anomalies and I grew up displaced in time..._and_ the only anomaly we know to date to have opened in America opened up in my _kitchen_. Not only that but I'm one of two people in the world that we know of who actually _remembers_ the world's original timeline and not this alternate one we've accidentally created." She stepped forwards, eyes narrowed. "These anomalies and happenings aren't just something I find interesting and I don't do this job just because I want to save people's lives. Anomalies are a _part_ of my life, have been before I even knew they existed, and I'm not going to stick my head in the dirt and hide and pretend that I'm not a part of this somehow. So while I understand and appreciate the fact that you both care for me and want to protect me I'm only going to say this once. Back the _hell_ down."

Stephen and Nick were silent, heads lowered, before they exchanged silent looks, sighing.

"Good." Chloe nodded, seeing that her point had been made, hand going to the handle of the door. "I bet ten dollars I get to the elevator before you two old men do."

Stephen smirked. "Oh you're on."

Nick looked between them before sighing and shaking his head, finally smiling genuinely for the first time since entering this new timeline. "You're British, love. Bet a _tenner_."

"A tenner." She repeated, nodding, doing her best british accent. "Alright then mates, I bet you blokes a _tenner_ that I make it to the _lift_ before you do."

"You've got the worst accent I've ever heard." Stephen laughed.

"She does." Nick had to agree fondly.

"For that, I'm getting a head start!" Chloe declared, and without warning she flung the door open and raced into the fog.

Stephen and Nick hurried behind her, Stephen's long legs helping him overtake her quickly, reaching the elevator first and slamming his hand down on the button. "Come on come on come on."

The red digits on the wall read down from floor seventeen to floor sixteen, and they were currently on floor _twelve_.

Chloe and Cutter arrived at the same time, gazing around them worriedly as the fog continued to grow.

The elevator door dinged as it slid open to reveal a thick wall of fog that slid out towards them.

Nick and Stephen shared worried looks over Chloe's head before moving as one towards the door...only to stop when they noticed a dark outline vaguely visible in the fog seconds before the wormlike creature lashed out at them, snarling. Nick raised his ax and everyone ducked away as the thing tried to spit a black liquid at them.

Chloe tumbled to the floor and rolled before getting back up in time for one of the slugs to knock the ax away from Nick.

"Back to the stairs!" Nick yelled, racing back the way they'd come as more slug things came out of the elevator, effectively cutting off Chloe and Stephen's path to safety.

"_Run_!" Stephen hissed to Chloe, turning in the opposite direction and leading the way.

Chloe quickly followed, but the fog was rising and getting thicker and somehow she got separated from him and lost, all alone in the winding hallways in the middle of fog so thick she could barely see what was an arms length in front of her. She wanted to scream for Stephen but knew it wasn't smart, instead keeping quiet, walking slowly, cautiously, and keeping an eye open around her. She didn't know where she was going, felt like she was walking forever, could feel her phone vibrating like crazy and glad it was on silent mode. She didn't need the sound attracting the worms from hell.

A gurgle behind her caused her to turn and see a black mass heading towards her, and when she turned back she came face to face with one of those things, its mouth open, making that horrible sound.

She ducked the spray of black liquid, body hot, hands trembling slightly, the room seeming brighter as she slipped and hit her head against the floor, the creature looming over her the last thing she saw before everything went black.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

"What do you _mean_ Jenny nearly got you killed?" Stephen blinked, confused as he spoke on his mobile with Cutter, safe for the moment within the elevator shaft.

"She came up against my wishes, took the lift when I told her not to, and then she nearly got me killed when I had to save her arse from those things! Good thing the office had actual katanas on the walls for decorations or we would have been history! And not in the good, fulfilling way!" Cutter complained, Jenny could be heard in the background talking to herself a little hysterically, saying how dinosaurs weren't supposed to be real and how this had to be a very sick joke. "Connor and Abby just arrived with weed blowers, that'll help disperse the fog. You and Chloe sit tight."

"That's what I was trying to tell you." Stephen frowned. "Chloe and I got separated, I don't know where she is and she's not answering her phone."

Nick was silent, before he cursed. "We need to find her."

"We need to trust her." Stephen replied. "You heard her Nick, she's a part of this, and she knows we're all headed to the fourteenth floor. We have to trust her to be able to get there."

"I can't just-!"

"Do you think it's easy for me to say that?" Stephen snapped at his friend. "I know you don't like it, Nick, but I _love_ your daughter! The thought of leaving her on this floor is clawing at me but I have to trust her-and trust her to use the skills we've taught her."

Nick took in a deep breath. "You really do love her...don't you?"

"Yes." Stephen closed his eyes tightly, wishing with all his might that his feelings would be completely understood and accepted by his best friend and mentor. "I do. _So much_."

Nick was silent before taking in another breath. "We'll trust her."

And with that he hung up.

Stephen tried Chloe's number once more...it rung out to her voicemail.

"Be okay." He whispered before putting the phone in his pocket and continuing the climb up the emergency ladder.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

With a groan Chloe opened her eyes, bringing her hand to her head, her whole body throbbing vicious, living throbs. She couldn't remember where she knew the feeling from, her head all fogged up, and that horrid scent was killing her as well...

That scent.

Everything came rushing back to Chloe, as was the last thing she remembered of the worm looming over her, and with a jolt she sat up, realizing that she was laying on the ground next to the anomaly. Her eyes widened. How had she gotten here? The anomaly was in the server room on the 15th floor! Had the worms brought her here? Were they scavenging their food and bringing it here so they could take it to their time?

She reached for her phone yet was unable to find it. Great. Apparently the worms were smart enough to leave her phone behind. Just her luck.

Behind her the anomaly throbbed with life, and she could feel each and every one as if it were a heartbeat linked to her own.

The blonde felt her eyes closing, lulled by the feeling, body tingly and lax.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

They'd managed to make it to the two remaining people stranded in the building on floor fourteen and get everyone back down safe and sound, Connor's upper body only momentarily swallowed by one of the larger worms. Thankfully they'd fixed that before he could be chewed or swallowed or asphyxiated, and although the boy was covered in worm gunk he was utterly fine. Jenny had gone on to show Nick just how different she was from Claudia by bullying the two survivors into silence, and although he supposed it was her job he found her methods callous and inhumane. But he had more important things to do now than contemplate how different this woman was to the one he'd realized he'd been very much in love with. Connor had come up with a way to force the fog back into the anomaly (and with the fog the creatures) but the catch was that it had to do with the temperature of the building and the temperate was controlled from the server room...which had the anomaly in the first place.

So Nick had sent Connor and Abby towards the server room and after failing once more to get into contact with his daughter, had called Stephen, discovering that he was trapped with a large group of those worms on the 13th floor. Armed with a leaf blower and the katana he was growing quite fond of, Nick made his way up the stairs rapidly. He was going to rescue Stephen and together they would find his daughter. He might still find it hard to accept the fact that Stephen was with Chloe, but he had to admit grudgingly that in moments like this he was glad that there was someone else out there capable like Stephen who would do all in his power to protect the girl.

"Let me help. I want to do something" Jenny declared, out of breath as she tried to keep up with him.

"Why don't you just stay downstairs and bully some more traumatized employees?" Nick growled. "Then you can come up with some spin to smooth all of this away."

"You don't approve of me very much, do you?" She asked.

"I used to think you were really something, but you're not that person." He replied, hurting to think of Claudia.

"Am I supposed to understand that?" Jenny wanted to know.

"No, I guess not." He replied, hurrying his pace, hoping to discourage her and force her to return back to the lobby.

They continued up the stairs, Jenny reluctantly impressing him by keeping up despite her heels.

"I'm impressed," she finally announced after some silence. "After everything Stephen's done you're still willing to risk your life for him."

"Meaning what?"

"Lester asked me to assess anything that might interfere with the team's efficiency." She replied. "I thought Stephen's affairs with Helen would have come into that category. And not only did he sleep with your wife but he's in a relationship with your daughter. Many would see that as disgusting and immoral of him."

"So, let me get this straight." Nick finally turned to look at her. "Lester sent you here to spy on us?"

"I prefer to call it management appraisal." She replied with a half smile.

"And you think that I should leave Stephen up there to die just because of what happened with him and Helen?" Nick frowned, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Because I don't approve of the relationship he has with my daughter?"

"Some people would." Jenny replied pointblank.

"Well, I'm not one of them." He shook his head, continuing on. "Whatever problems I've got with Stephen, I can sort them out for myself. And about his situation with Chloe, I do not like it, but she is an adult and can make her own decisions."

"About that." Jenny kept up with him though her voice was breathy. "How is it that Chloe is your daughter with Helen? James hasn't really mentioned the details but considering your and Helen's ages and the dates of your marriage-the date of her birth doesn't make any sense."

"When Helen got lost in the anomalies she was pregnant with Chloe." Nick didn't know why he was telling her this. "She gave birth to our daughter fourteen years before Helen disappeared into the anomaly. Had Chloe been born into the right timeline she'd be eight years old now."

"That's utterly _fascinating_." Jenny whispered to herself. "Dinosaurs, anomalies, and children displaced in _time_! This is _far_ more interesting than my last job!"

Nick looked back at her, shook his head, and continued upwards.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Stephen felt trapped in more ways than one. He knew that Nick wanted him to stay put until they could come for him but not only were the worms becoming more vicious and spitting that black stuff at him, no matter how many times he tried calling Chloe wasn't picking up, and he was terrified that he'd been wrong and something had happened to her. Things seemed to be going worse and worse. What seemed like only yesterday life had been a paradise for him. He'd been living with the woman he loved, enjoying the job he loved, and in good relations with his best friend and mentor. He'd been about to propose...and then all of a sudden Chloe and Cutter had seemed to be replaced by two complete strangers.

He wanted his girlfriend back.

If he had to recreate every single memory they'd shared to make sure things were the way they'd been before, he was gonna do exactly that.

Deciding he couldn't start this more proactive phase in his life by waiting for help, Stephen made a move, jumping from the cabinet he'd been on top of to the nearest desk, jumping from one to the other until a worm caught one of his feet and caused him to lose balance, falling into the fog.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Jumping down from the air vent they'd had to crawl through to get to the sever room without going through the ridiculously thick fog on the 15th floor, Abby straightened up as she looked around the room, which was empty other than the throbbing anomaly.

Connor stuck his head out of the shaft. "Abby, I think it's that one, the aircon."

She went towards it and pulled open the glass door, pressing some buttons and bringing up the temperature drastically.

"That's enough." Connor called, eyes on the temperature reading. "Come back."

Abby nodded, rushing towards the vent and reaching for for Connor's hand, glad when she was pulled to the relative safety of the vents and out of the fog. "Is it working?"

Connor looked towards her, frowning slightly. "I hope so."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

When Nick and Jenny finally stumbled upon Stephen on the 13th floor the fog was much thinner, lower, and there were visible signs of struggles, as well as the bodies of a few of the worms who'd decided to attack Stephen and obviously hadn't had things go their way. There were other worms in the room but they were just watching the human warily.

"You took your time." Stephen edged towards them.

"Well, you do tend to run off on your own." Nick replied, relieved to see his friend safe and unhurt.

"Have you found Chloe?" Stephen asked.

Nick shook his head, eyes dark with worry but knowing that he had to stay calm and in control of the situation and his emotions.

"The fog's lifting." Jenny announced, eyes on the large worms around them.

"It's working." Stephen nodded, watching the worms begin to wither and writher as the fog dissipated.

"_Ugh_!" Jenny made up her face in disgust as the creatures began to swell. "What's happening to them?"

Nick's eyes widened, not having expected this. "Must be the heat."

"They're expanding." Jenny took a wary step back.

Suddenly the creatures began exploding all around them, chunks of skin and tissue flying everywhere, blood spattering all around.

Jenny screamed, Nick and Stephen grunting as suddenly _things_ like fish with sharp teeth exploded from the creatures, latching onto them with those razor-sharp teeth. The trip cried out in pain as they hurried tore the things off of them as fast as they could.

"God! They're spawning!" Nick yanked away at them rapidly. "They're not biting, they're burrowing. They're trying to find a new host! Don't let them break the skin!"

"These are _parasites_?" Jenny cried out in horror, yanking all the more desperately.

"Gotta find something to bring the temperature down." Nick looked all around him.

"It'll take too long." Stephen tore some off of himself.

Nick climbed up onto a desk. "Anybody got a light?"

Jenny searched her pockets before passing him her lighter.

Nick lit the flame and rose it to the fire alarm, immediately trigger the sprinklers to turn on, bathing them with the cold water...the parasites falling to the ground, dying. "Claudia." He jumped down and looked at her. "Are you alright?"

"_Don't_ call me _Claudia_." Jenny snapped at him, before taking in a deep breath and nodding. "And I'm fine."

Stephen rushed passed them. "CHLOE! CHLOE WHERE ARE YOU?"

Nick sent Jenny one last look before following after.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

"CHLOE!"

Jerking at the sound of her name, Chloe's eyes fluttered open, disorientation beginning to descend as she turned in time for Stephen to sweep her into his arms and hold her tight.

"I was so worried!" He whispered into her hair. "Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"I lost it." She apologized. "I'm sorry."

"No, it doesn't matter, you're okay." He finally lowered her to the floor, gazing deep into her eyes. "You're okay."

He seemed to be repeating that for his own benefit.

Chloe gazed up into his eyes and could see a man who loved her.

It was time she let go of the past.

It was time she truly, _truly_ gave him a chance.

Smiling softly, Chloe cupped Stephen's cheek before grabbing the front of his shirt with her other hand and bringing him down to her as she pressed up on her toes and kissed him.

She felt a little awkward and out of her depth, very shy and unsure, and then Stephen was kissing her deeply, his arms around her tightly, nearly stealing her breath away.

Finally she pulled away, breathless and blushing, staring up at Stephen's face to see his incredibly blissful smile.

Someone cleared his throat.

That was the moment Chloe realized she'd just made out in front of her father.

Face turning red, she pulled away completely from Stephen, embarrassed. "So you're alive." She blinked, noticing Jenny. "What are you doing up here?" The blonde went towards her. "And what happened to your _hair_?"

Jenny's hand went to her hair. "One of those things messed up my hairstyle, didn't it?"

Chloe nodded.

"Oh _drat it_." Jenny frowned.

Chloe smiled before turning to her father.

He brushed some of her hair out of her face. "Hey kiddo."

"I believe that's your first nickname for me, dad." She grinned, pressing up on her toes and placing a kiss on his cheek before looping her arm around Jenny's arm and leading her away, asking the brunette about how her fist 'real' day on the job had been.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

As the men walked a little ways behind the women, silent, Stephen finally took in a deep breath and turned to his mentor and friend.

"Do you ever wonder if what we're doing is right?"

Nick sent him an amused look.

"I mean, maybe the anomalies have a purpose." Stephen made a face. "Maybe we should stop fighting, and face them."

"What?" Nick asked. "Just stand by and do nothing?"

Stephen took a moment to answer. "People should know what's happening...'cause we're gonna need to prepare for whatever comes next."

"Yeah, but how do you prepare for a world where evolution has gone mad?" Nick wanted to know. "We have to fight to try and maintain some kind of natural order."

Stephen sighed. "Does anybody really know what the natural order is anymore?"

Nick sent another look at Stephen and let out a sigh, unable to answer.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Freshly showered, home at last, Chloe listened to Stephen humming in the shower of the guest room as she reached for her small jewelry box by the side of the bed. She took the rings out and carefully lifted the false bottom before taking out and unfolding the picture she'd hidden there. It was the only picture she had of her and Ben, and that was because she'd had it in her wallet when the timeline had shifted. It was her only proof that he'd existed...that _they'd_ existed. How many nights had she cried herself to sleep while looking at this picture and trying to tell herself that when she woke up things would be back to the way they were before and that Ben would be doing his cute determined face as he came to her home now that he knew (somewhat) her secret and could now slowly integrate himself into her life once more.

But every morning she'd awake to find that the world was still this odd place, and she was still in the flat she shared with Stephen, and Ben wasn't going to come to visit her.

Ever.

Ben...

The blonde gulped as she gazed at the picture of her and Ben lying in bed together, hair tousled, covered only by sheets, and grinning completely besotted smiles to the camera which Ben was holding.

Tears prickled at her eyes but she shook her head, refused to let them fall.

Clearing her throat, Chloe started to tear the picture in two and yet couldn't finish the action, ending up folding it in half once more and putting it away in its hidden spot.

Although she wasn't ready to say goodbye completely, Chloe knew she was ready to start.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Nick Cutter stood outside of Jenny Lewis' house, taking in a deep breath, trying to gather the courage to do what he needed to. Stephen's questions had weighed on him, as had Chloe's decision to not fight this reality but to adapt to it and the changes it brought. Changes like a relationship with Stephen, and Jenny Lewis. He pulled out his wallet and gazed at the photo there of him and Claudia smiling at the camera. He was never going to get Claudia back and he needed to accept that...needed to accept Jenny.

It was one of the reasons he was here.

Taking in a deep breath, he put his wallet away and headed towards the door, knocking on it.

Footsteps could be heard and then Jenny opened the door, obviously surprised to see him.

"Okay, here's the thing." He didn't let her speak unless somehow he lost the nerve. "Suppose there was another world once, and you were a different person. And suppose there was an accident that happened in the past, which meant that world evolved differently so that some people who had lived were never even born, and other people grew up with completely different lives."

Her eyes widened, her face disturbed.

"Now, what if all of that were possible?" He asked.

"Who is it, Jen?" A male voice asked from within, and suddenly a handsome blonde male appeared in the doorway.

Nick gazed up at the man and then smiled sadly, blue eyes returning to Jenny. "You're busy. I'm so sorry." He turned and walked away, closing his eyes tightly.

Behind him he could hear the man asking Jenny who he was.

"Just...someone I work with." Jenny whispered.

Yes, Nick's heart whispered, Jenny was only someone he worked with.

So deep in his heartbreak, he never noticed Helen watching him from the shadows.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

"Hey." Chloe cleared her throat as she leaned against the doorframe of Stephen's room for the first time since he'd moved in there, hugging herself.

Stephen froze in the doorway of the bathroom, the towel he'd been using to dry his hair slipping through his fingers and falling heavily to the ground. "Hey."

"So, I've been thinking." Chloe began, giving him a timid little smile. "You're my best friend."

A small frown began to mar his features.

"And you're my confidant, probably the person I'm closest to in my time." She took in a deep breath. "You're strong, caring, protective, funny...easy on the eyes."

The frown was melting into an intrigued expression.

"I can see how I fell in love with you in this timeline." Chloe pushed away from the door and took a couple of tentative steps into the bedroom. "You've been patient and wonderful with me when you're going through such a hard and unusual situation."

Stephen watched her.

Nervous and unsure of herself, Chloe slowly went towards him.

Stephen met her half way and lifted her into his kiss, easily keeping her off of the ground, his arms tight.

Fisting her fingers through his hair, Chloe kissed him with all she had.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

**Review?**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own Primeval/Smallville

Sequel to: Primeval - Season one

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

A gasp escaped her lips as he kissed her deeply, pinning her to the bed with his body as she cradled him between her thighs, her hands running up and down his back as he kissed her deeper. It'd been two weeks since she'd decided to truly give Stephen a chance, and intimacy was still a very new stage to their relationship. She'd only ever been with two men in her whole life, Jimmy Olsen during her teenaged Daily Planet internship, and Ben...and she still felt very new somehow. It was why she was grateful that Stephen was giving her time, was easing her into the relationship he was already used to having with her...the other her... Maybe she should start referring to the other her as Alternate!Chloe or Chlother. It was all so confusing!

Chloe pushed those thoughts out of her mind, fought not to think at all, and only concentrate on the feel of his lips against her, his body pinning her to the bed.

They'd been playing this slow-burn game, and during the last couple of 'sessions' she'd known...could feel...that the time to take it all the way was fast approaching.

Stephen's tongue teased hers as he reached down and freed himself from his boxers when suddenly their pagers went off at the same time.

The petite blonde and tall brunet groaned in despair.

"It can't be time already." Chloe complained, reaching for her pager and staring at the message. "Great, just great. Why couldn't they tell us from yesterday that today they were going to test run Connor's Anomaly Detector?"

"I think they did." Stephen tossed his pager behind him on the bed, concentrating on her neck, licking and nibbling it distractingly.

"I don't...remember.." Chloe was breathless as her eyes rolled back in her sockets in pleasure as she felt him at her core. "Stephen...we have to..."

Stephen covered her lips with his as he moved his hips and proved to her just how much he didn't care about being a little late that morning.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"_Where_ are they?" Lester looked at his watch.

"Mr. Hart phoned in saying that he and Miss Sullivan-Cutter would be late and to start without them." Leeks declared. "Something about a flat tire."

"Flat tire." Lester scoffed disbelievingly, folding his arms over his chest with a shake of his head. "It's the damned yankee. She's corrupting the british punctuality out of him."

"Actually, sir, considering she's Professor Cutter's and his wife's daughter, she's British, not yankee."

Lester made up his face. "She was bred yankee, Leeks, thus she's yankee. Nurture forms nature."

"Of course, sir." Leeks sighed.

"She's apparently corrupting the whole damn team." Lester went on to say, the only two members of his team actually there were Cutter and Jenny, who seemed awkward with each other. "Even _Mr_. _Temple_ isn't here, and it's his presentation!"

"Ms. Maitland called to say they were in a traffic jam." Leeks informed.

"What's with the sudden automotive problems this morning?" Lester raised an eyebrow, clearly disbelieving. "Apparently there's an epidemic."

"Apparently, sir." Leek nodded agreeably before clearing his throat. "Speaking about Miss Sullivan-Cutter-,"

"We'd actually gotten off of the subject of her." Lester declared.

"Have you gotten her to reconsider allowing the ARC to run those tests on her? It could truly benefit us to know what sort of affects being a Time Child has had upon her body or DNA or quite possibly her brain functions."

"She's refused and frankly there's nothing that we could offer her which tempts her to accept. Not even a raise. Or a puppy." Lester gazed at the documents on his desk, forgetting about the Command Center and everyone's lateness. "Go be useful somewhere else until everyone arrive."

"Yes sir." Leeks sighed, leaving the office.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

As Chloe sang in the shower about sucking a lollipop, Stephen at by her side of the bed, rings on the sheet, the fake bottom of her jewelry box to the side, and the picture of her and the man who could only be this Benjamin character in his hands. When Chloe had made it a habit of keeping that specific jewelry box near her bed all of a sudden Stephen had grown curious and had inspected it, coming upon the picture a while back. It was very recently slightly torn at the top, obviously showing that she'd started to rip it apart and yet hadn't been able to, instead folding it away and hiding it amongst her valuables.

They were slowly getting back to how wonderful things had been between them before, he was going to move back into their room...and yet he knew deep in his heart that this man could ruin everything. Stephen was a tracker, he knew how to sense danger, and this man was a danger.

A muscle jumped in Stephen's cheek as he gazed down darkly at the picture of the man who was a ghost between him and Chloe. His hair was dark, his eyes hazel, and his arm possessive around Chloe, the sheet the only thing covering their decency, as they smiled up happily at the camera he held in the air above them on the bed. Stephen could see in the way the man held Chloe, in his expression...this was a man who was possessive and deeply in love.

And what was worse was the fact that Chloe's body language said the exact same thing.

Stephen had never hated someone the way he hated this guy.

It was why he took out that picture whenever he could and just studied it, putting to memory everything about that face so that if Benjamin existed in this timeline and Stephen stumbled across him, Stephen would know to keep Chloe as far away from Benjamin as possible. Things were finally going well between Stephen and Chloe, and even Nick was coming around to the fact that they were together, and Stephen wasn't about to let this other guy just waltz in and mess this up for him. He didn't care that technically this Chloe might be Benjamin's and not his, the moment the timelines merged or changed or whatever the hell they did-Benjamin's Chloe had become _his_ Chloe, and Stephen wasn't giving her up. And he wasn't afraid or unwilling to fight dirty.

Putting the picture away in its hiding place, Stephen fixed everything so that Chloe would continue believing her secret was safe, before going to the bathroom, the need to claim her once more fierce in his chest.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Hands in his jeans pockets, Nick wondered where everyone was this fine morning. They were about to try out one of the most important inventions of their time in his opinion, and not even the creator, Connor, was here for it. Cutter doubted anything had happened to the four missing members of the Anomaly Research team since bad news traveled fast, but still he worried at their absence. Then again, it could be just that things were extremely awkward between him and Jenny Lewis, and they usually had someone to use as a buffer between them but now it was just them...and apparently Lester and Leeks, who had appeared from their respective offices.

"So," he tried to start conversation. "How's your boyfriend?"

"Fiance actually." Jenny replied, gazing at the interconnected computer system and screens that made up Connor's work. "Fine. Thanks."

Leeks gazed down at his watch once more.

"Yeah, just waiting for Connor." Nick announced. "He should be here in a minute."

Suddenly Connor and Abby burst into the Command Center. "Sorry. Sorry." Connor hurried towards his baby. "Mr. Mr. Karr, would you kindly put me in the driver's seat, please?" He hurried to the keyboard and began typing in codes, bringing the screens to life, turning to face those there with a proud grin on his face. "I'd like you to meet the Anomaly Detection Device...or ADD for short." He turned towards them, a sheepish expression on his face. "Actually, that's probably not the best acronym for it is it..."

"Connor." Nick grinned at how Connor was rambling on so rapidly in excitement. "_Breathe_."

"Sorry." Connor nodded and took in a deep breath, trying to go slower as he turned to the computers system. "What you're looking at is a fully-integrated graphic representation of the radio communications matrix, networking the whole of the UK's transmitters."

"Congratulations." Jenny announced with some attitude. "You built your very own satnav."

"I believe you can get them dashboard size nowadays." Leeks joined in on the slight taunting.

Connor made a face at them before turning his attention to Cutter. "This watches over the UK 24/7, so..." he pressed a button and a loud alarm blared throughout the ARC, the words ANOMALY DETECTED flashing bright red across the screens.

"What is that?" Leeks made a face, hands on his hips.

"That is just a demo." Connor declared. "But when a real anomaly appears this machine can alert us within seconds."

"Good one." NIck praised.

"Thank you very much." Connor grinned, obviously very proud, turning off the alarm and pulling out a smaller handheld device. "Here's one I made earlier. This is a palm-held detector for us in the field."

Leeks' pager sounded and he gazed at it, frowning.

"It's a shortwave radio and it's got effective range of about 100 meters or so." Connor passed the device to Nick for inspection.

"I was hoping for something a little more compact." Nick admitted.

Leeks went off to the side and called someone on his mobile phone.

"Yeah, it's just a prototype for we can work on that." Connor assured him.

"Have you tried beaming up with it yet?" Jenny asked, proving just how unlikable she could be.

Connor turned to her, eyes narrowed. "Are you here to help or just to be sarcastic? 'Cause this is a serious piece of kit...or it will be when I've ironed out the kinks."

Leeks returned to Jenny's side. "Technical question."

"Yes?" Connor asked.

"Is the detector online now?"

"It is." Connor nodded.

"Hmmm." Leeks raised an eyebrow. "So it should be picking every new anomaly?"

"Yeah." Connor grinned.

"So why have I just been told that we have a new creature attack?

Everyone shared glances and turned as one to look at the silent Anomaly Detection Device.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"Dodo birds? Really?" Chloe asked in surprise as she took a sip of her coffee, walking arm in arm with Stephen towards the car from the coffee shop they'd stopped by to get warm beverages for the team as an apology for being so late, before heading to Blue Sky Park. "There were _dodo_ birds in this timeline?"

"Yeah." Stephen nodded, amused by her surprise, holding the container with the warm cups. "They were silly things but the parasites inside of them were less funny. Connor's two friends got mixed up in it and one of them got infected and ultimately died in Connor's arms after nearly hurting Abby. The whole situation nearly killed Connor, he blamed himself for the longest time, wasn't sure he wanted to continue on the team."

"Wow." Chloe shook her head, obviously fascinated. "It didn't happen like that _at all_ in my timeline."

Stephen hated how she always made a distinction between his timeline and hers, as if she was subconsciously still drawing a line between them. "So what happened that _you_ remember?"

"Basically? I got kidnapped by mum, that's about it. There were no dodos involved and Connor's friends never found out, no one ever died." Chloe replied, the plastic bag with the pastries around her wrist as they made it to Stephen's 4x4. "Did the pterodactyl episode when I came back happen in this timeline?"

"Huh?" Stephen made a face. "There was a pterodactyl in your timeline?"

"Right," Chloe nodded as she opened the passenger side door, slipping into the truck, waiting until Stephen had gotten into the driver's seat to continue. "Claudia featured heavily in that incident, so I guess since she was written out of this timeline that episode was written out as well." She smirked. "But considering how you tasted the dung and freaked out all the manly security personnel, Tom in particular, it's a bit of a disappointment that it didn't happen in this one."

"You can tell a lot from feces." Stephen defended his actions in the past timeline with a smirk.

"I know, but the look on Tom Ryan's face when you recounted it! It was priceless!" Chloe laughed, before suddenly pausing, turning to look at Stephen as he merged into the traffic. "Did he work with the Home Office in this timeline?"

"He did." Stephen nodded with a sigh.

Chloe's gaze lowered. "Did he die the same way?"

"In the past by a future predator?" Stephen supplied his timeline's version.

"So he did..." Chloe frowned. "Why didn't any of us attend his funeral?"

"His family wanted a private affaire and we respected their wishes." Stephen responded softly.

Chloe opened her mouth to ask where he was buried so she could pay her respects...when suddenly a car slammed into them from behind, sending them flying into the crossroads...where a hummer promptly rammed into them, crashing into her side of the vehicle...and as she hit her head, everything went black as she was knocked unconscious.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"I've seen enough, Abby." Nick sighed as he straightened up, shaking his head. "Zip up the body."

Abby did as told, shaking her head.

Connor walked around them with the portable anomaly detector prototype and a look of growing confusion.

"Claw marks everywhere." Nick sent Abby a look. "He's been ripped to shreds."

Abby looked at the body bag as if unable to get the sight that it covered out of her mind. "If I was back at the zoo, I'd say it was a lion. See how the bones have been gnawed?"

"All right. Big cat then." Nick's gaze went to where Connor continued to pace with his device.

The techie turned to the group leader as if he had felt his gaze upon him. "No radio interference. No magnetic field. No sign of an anomaly." He flinched at the silent glances at him. "You know, I checked, I double checked, every chip and circuit board in that detector. It's working I'm telling you."

Nick gazed down at the body bag.

"If there was an anomaly it wouldn't shown up." Connor insisted. "I stake my life on it."

"You may have to." Nick admitted, thinking about the less than favorable way Jenny, Leech and the others had behaved earlier.

"Maybe he's got a point." Abby suddenly spoke up. "Maybe there's another explanation for this. There are thousands of big cat sightings every year. Pumas, leopards, lynxes."

Connor looked desperate to grasp onto one of those excuses.

Nick hated having to take away that little hope. "None of them are big enough to do this kind of damage."

"It could've escaped from a private zoo." Abby tried once more.

"Yeah, well, find out if anythings been reported." Nick turned towards her.

Abby left to do as told.

Connor sent her a look before going towards Nick, tapping a hand to his mobile detector. "If it _is_ just an ordinary big cat..."

"Just?" Nick asked, realizing just how odd their lives were when a puma attack was considered something 'ordinary'.

"Well, yeah." Connor nodded. "If it's a normal explanation for all this stuff, the anomaly detector would be off the hook, right?"

Nick hesitated a second, thinking once more of the behavior of the higher ups at the Arc. "Maybe."

Connor nodded, taking that answer.

Nick frowned and looked around him before gazing at his watch. "Where exactly are Chloe and Stephen. And our coffees?"

"Probably having a problem finding parking." Connor shrugged.

"Right." Nick nodded, not understanding why he felt so uneasy.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"Stephen you really need to _go_." Chloe urged as she sat waiting for the doctor to get back with results from her x-ray to see if her arm was broken or just very badly injured. Her forehead was bruised and bandaged, swollen slightly, but other than having awoken in the hospital she was fine...thankfully not having suffered a concussion as feared.

"I can't just leave with you like this." Stephen looked up at her in exasperation.

"It's not broken, I promise you. I'm not a doctor or anything, but if my arm was broken or fractured I'd be in a lot more pain. And I'm not good when it comes to pain...so you'd know." She assured him. "I'll be fine, but I'm worried about Cutter and I'd feel better if I knew you were there with him."

"Cutter's a big man who can take care of himself." Stephen mumbled, bending on his knees in front of her as she sat. "He doesn't need me to hold his bloody hand."

"_Please_." Chloe whispered, reaching out with her good hand and cupping his face, thumb caressing his cheek tenderly, giving him a pleading look.

"Oh god, not the puppy dog eyes." Stephen groaned, closing his eyes before letting out a little sigh. "Call me the second the doctor has your results?"

"I promise." She smiled, relieved.

"And if you're even the least bit fractured you call me and I'll come get you and take you home myself." Stephen continued with his conditions, blue eyes determined. "I don't want you in a cab if you have a broken arm. I just don't."

"Scouts' honor." Chloe grinned.

"You were never a scout." He reminded her, pressing a kiss to her lips. "Keep me informed. And go and rest. I'm not kidding love."

Chloe pressed back as he rose, straightening. "_Go_."

"I mean it!" He called as he turned and raced out of the hospital, having only suffered minor bruising and cuts from the accident they'd been involved with

Chloe smiled and shook her head, allowing her face to show her pain now that he was gone. She'd known that he even suspected that she was in this amount of pain he'd have never left, and she wouldn't allow herself to keep him from the job. She was a big girl, and she could handle this...even if it _was_ broken or fractured. Though the thought of waiting until getting to the flat to take the hardcore pain meds since they'd probably knock her out cold was daunting, especially since she felt a little woozy. The doctors had said it was a miracle she didn't have a concussion, but she wasn't out of the woods just yet.

"Hello."

Chloe froze, unable to believe it, turning her body rapidly in her seat, eyes widening in shock as her green gaze fell upon someone she'd convinced herself that she'd never see again. "_Ben_."

Benjamin Becker stood in front of her, eyes narrowing slightly, an odd look on his face. "What did you call me?"

Realizing how insane she must seem acting so familiarly with him, Chloe looked down and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, before looking up at him. "I'm sorry, I just barely escaped having a concussion, my mind isn't all here." Her heart was racing a million miles per minute as she gazed up at him. "Can I help you?"

This wasn't her Ben.

She needed to remember that.

"I-," he cleared his throat and assumed a very military stance, obviously seeming somewhat uncomfortable. "It was my vehicle that ran into yours. I wanted to make sure that you were fine."

Her breath was knocked out of her lungs at the uncanny circumstance. "From behind or the side?"

"The side." He replied, clearing his throat once more before reaching out his hand to her. "I'm Hilary, Hilary Becker."

Hilary?

His name had changed to _Hilary_?

No wonder she couldn't find him in any of her searches!

Like Claudia he'd been born as someone else!

But at least...at least he'd been _born_.

And was still a Becker at least.

Thanking whoever may be listening for his existence, Chloe gazed at that familiar hand before slipping her uninjured one into his, closing her eyes against the tears that sprung in her eyes. "I'm Chloe."

"Chloe." His voice took an odd dip, their hands still connected. "Were you hurt badly?"

She took in a deep breath and slowly slipped her hand from his, using it to wipe at the two rebellious tears that skidded down her paled cheeks, before her gaze rose to his worried face. "No, just a little shaken up that's all."

"Miss Sullivan-Cutter?" The nurse appeared. "The doctor will see you now."

"Sullivan-Cutter?" He whispered with a small frown.

"Yes, my last name."

Or it was in this timeline...she was still trying to get used to it herself.

She stood, giving him a sad smile, telling herself not to cry.

She could do this.

She could.

"I have to go now." Chloe whispered, voice thick. "It was nice meeting you, Hilary Becker."

He looked up at her, silent, face disturbed though she couldn't understand why.

She lowered her gaze and moved passed him towards where the nurse was waiting. "Goodbye."

The blonde followed the older woman, never looking back, tears silently falling down her cheeks.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

By the time Stephen finally arrived and let them know what had happened the team had already interviewed Valerie Irwin, the Deputy Park Manager, who informed Jenny that one of the guests who'd been out running had stumbled upon the body and called the police. The only one who knew exactly what had happened was the Managing Director, Peter Campbell (who was, unofficially, one of the largest arsewipes Nick had ever had the misfortune of ever meeting). Jenny had informed Valerie that she wasn't to tell anyone of this and had then interviewed the man who'd found the body, who'd been given a hospitality suite.

Apparently finding a dead, mauled body warranted an upgrade in your housing.

The Managing Director wouldn't even consider closing down the park and evacuating it since this was apparently 'peak season' and his concern was more geared towards the money they'd lose and not on the fact that everyone at Blue Sky Park could be in immense danger.

Nick really wanted to kill him.

Jenny had managed to get the little arse-wipe to agree to closing down the paint ball section, which was where the killing had occurred, while leaving the rest of the park open. It was a monumentally terrible idea considering this animal, prehistoric or not, was definitely going to kill again given it had already discovered that this was an ample hunting ground.

Nick wanted to hope they were lucky...that the noise would keep the predator away...but he wasn't feeling optimistic at all today, and he felt much less so after Stephen arrived, cut and bruised, and told them about the accident and having to leave Chloe at the hospital waiting for some x-ray results.

With Stephen out searching for prints, Nick called his daughter.

"Yes Nick?" She answered, still varying from calling him Nick, Cutter, or dad.

"Are you alright?" He asked, wanting to know immediately how serious the injury was.

"I've only badly sprained my wrist, it isn't broken, but I'm not supposed to be doing any heavy lifting for a while." She replied, voice cheerful if not slightly pained. "The doctor's given me these pain meds but says they'll leave me drowsy and so I shouldn't take them if I'm going to drive or operate heavy machinery. There goes my daily routine."

His lips quirked at her attempt for humor. "Should I call and tell one of the ARC people to come and pick you up? Take you to the flat so you can pass out there all heavily drugged and medicated?"

She laughed softly. "Don't worry dad! I'm-." She then paused and gasped. "What are you still doing here?"

Nick frowned. "Chloe?"

A male voice he didn't recognize murmured something he couldn't understand.

"You didn't have to do that!" Chloe's voice was shaky, filled with shock and something else. "I didn't expect-I-."

"Chloe what's wrong?" Nick frowned deeper, not liking this.

"Dad, I'll call you later. My, uh, ride, is here. Love you, and take care." She then promptly hung up on him.

Nick was about to call her back and demand to know who exactly was there with her, when Stephen raised him on the radio.

"Cutter."

Putting away his phone, Nick tried concentrating on the job once more as he pulled out his walkie-talkie and brought it to his lips. "Stephen."

"I picked up a trail near an old farm." Stephen declared. "It's about a mile west of the paint balling area."

"We'll meet you there." Nick declared before turning to Connor and Abby. "Abby, let's go. Connor, keep an eye out. If you see anything suspicious, call me."

"Hang on." Connor frowned. "What am I supposed to do if I do see something?" He raised his walkie-talkie. "Talk it to death?"

Nick hesitated before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a set of keys, passing them to the younger male. "Here are the keys to the gun cases. Only as a last resort. You got that?"

"Loud and clear." Connor nodded.

Nick motioned with his head to Abby and she nodded, the two of them heading off towards the woods of the paint balling area, heading towards Stephen's current location. They ran, keeping an eye on their surroundings, and making sure that they weren't being chased.

As they were nearing Nick stopped and pulled out his radio. "Stephen, did you see anything?"

"Fresh tracks." His voice crackled on the walkie-talkie. "I think it's doubled back on us."

"What?" Nick frowned darkly. "You mean it's headed back towards the park?"

"Looks that way." Stephen replied.

Nick turned to Abby, who was looking at him with worry in her blue eyes.

"Connor."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"You really didn't have to do this." Chloe said for what felt like the millionth time as she sat in Hilary Becker's powerful black truck, still unable to believe that he'd waited for her to get through with the doctor, had gone with her to get the medicines prescribed, and had insisted that it was the least he could do to drop her home to her flat. This was unreal, like a dream, and she'd pinched herself subtly a couple of times just to make sure that it wasn't. And yet it wasn't, here she was, next to him, and he smelt just like her Ben.

What sort of freak was she? She was _smelling_ him. Not obviously of course, but she took in a deep breath and could smell his natural, masculine scent mixing with the minty freshness of the car-freshener. If she just closed her eyes she could trick her mind into thinking things were back to the right timeline and she was with Ben, but there be monsters...and if she deluded herself they'd eat her up and spit her heart out when they were finished with her.

This wasn't the right timeline, this was the new one.

This wasn't her Ben.

"Please, don't mention it again." He said softly, eyes on the road, expression blank. "I want to do this."

"Thanks." She whispered.

He cleared his throat, sending her a sideways glance before returning his attention to the road. "So, your accent...you are American?"

"Yes and no." She replied, wondering exactly how much she could tell...how much she should. "I was born in America and raised there by my adopted parents, but my biological parents are British. My father is actually one of the reasons why I'm here living in jolly old England."

Ben...Hilary...he sent her a surprised look. "Your father is English?"

"And he's lost all hope of me picking up the accent." She declared with a nod, the pain meds having her woozy and probably making her a little more talkative than she normally would be. "He didn't know about me, my mother adopted me out without even telling him she was pregnant." She paused for a moment, figuring out her story in her mind. "I came to London unexpectedly and we...met quite coincidentally. I was in some trouble and he saved me. We found out later that we were related."

"That's quite the story." He declared, seeming genuinely fascinated. "And your mother? Was she still with him?"

"She was...dead to him...at the time." Chloe's lips twisted at the irony of that statement. "They still don't get along." Her gaze then slid to him. "And your parents?"

Her Ben's father had died in an accident a little before his birth, his mother had remarried a nice man who'd raised him as his own.

"My parents are still together." Ben/Hilary declared with a smile. "They were childhood sweathearts and they're still going strong."

Chloe was fascinated by the change in this timeline. "He's the one who named you Hilary."

He turned to her surprised before nodding. "How did you know?"

"A lucky guess." She whispered.

He eyed her before returning his attention to the road. "My mother and he fought over my name the whole pregnancy. She wanted my first name to be Benjamin after her father, and dad wanted it to be Hilary after _his_ father. In the end he won and Benjamin became my second name."

"You seem more of a Ben to me." Chloe leaned her head against the headrest and smiled at him, the meds leaving her slightly groggy and high...she hadn't felt this at peace for a very long time.

He sent her a sideways look, lips curved slightly. "I feel more like a Ben too sometimes."

Chloe looked away, feeling on very dangerous ground, before suddenly she frowned as she eyed the interior of the truck. "Wait a moment. A _hummer_ rammed into us. I remember that because it hit us from my side and my last thoughts were 'that's a horrible shade of red'." She then gasped as she realized that she'd basically just insulted his car. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-I-maybe I should shut up right about now. Or, well, I could blame everyone on the pain meds you insisted I take since I wouldn't be driving. They _do_ make you drowsy you know, and unable to think clearly."

His lips twitched and his hazel eyes slid towards her for a second before he chuckled, shaking his head. "I had a mate lend me his car. He's a mechanic and so he drove my hummer back to his garage while I took his truck out with the express orders not to even scratch his beauty."

"It is beautiful." Chloe leaned her head against the glass, taking in a deep breath, feeling so relaxed thanks to the medication kicking in.

"You know, I live close to here. Only a couple of streets down actually." He declared in an odd way, clearing his throat. "I usually come through this neighborhood everyday jogging."

"_Really_?" She asked, shocked, having never seen him.

Then again she'd been either rushing to get to work in the mornings or dead tired and arriving home with Stephen at all sorts of irregular hours of the night just wanting to collapse in bed and sleep forever. Ben could have jogged right by her and she never would have noticed.

"Yeah." He nodded, parking outside her flat. "Have you called anyone to come and keep you company? Considering you just barely escaped having a concussion you should call a girlfriend or-."

"My boyfriend knows." She replied, purposely saying boyfriend and not Stephen, needing to remind herself that she had one, a very good one, and that it was _not_ a good idea to reach over and hug Ben...Hilary..._Ben_. He'd always be _Ben_ for her no matter what name he had in this alternate timeline. But then again it wasn't healthy to associate him with her Ben, was it?

Suddenly she could understand her father and his issue with Jenny Lewis so much better.

"Boyfriend." Ben's gaze lowered and he gulped, shaking his head. "Right."

"Right." She echoed, mind screaming for her to thank him, say goodbye, and rush to her flat...heart begging her to stay and never leave.

"If your...boyfriend...knows you're hurt then where is he? Why wasn't he there to pick you up from the hospital?" Ben surprised her by acting very much out of character as he turned towards her, eyes slightly narrowed. "You could have been seriously hurt. I don't care what the doctor said, you say you lost consciousness until the hospital, you could very well have a concussion, even if it's a minor one. Your boyfriend should have been there with you."

"He was there in the accident with me..." Chloe frowned, eyeing Ben in confusion. "But you should know that, you...you _ran into_ us. You should know he was in the truck with me...you would have seen him when we and the people from the car who rammed us from behind got out."

"Right." Ben suddenly looked away. "You're right. It must have slipped my mind."

Chloe felt a trickle of confused suspicion...but why in the world would Ben lie about being the one who ran into her? It made no sense. He didn't know her in this timeline. He would have no reason to do such a thing.

"Where, uh, is he then?" Ben asked, staring at the steering wheel.

"Work." She replied, intrigue blossoming inside of her. "I sent him off. We work together and there was an emergency and he wouldn't leave until I assured him I was fine. Which I _am_."

"Right." Ben nodded, gaze still on the steering wheel. "If you don't mind, I'll wait here until you enter your flat safe and sound."

"Thank you." She whispered, realizing this could be the last time she ever saw him. "You've gone out of your way to help me without even knowing me...people don't do that anymore."

For some reason a look of guilt crossed his face as he stared harder at the steering wheel. "My pleasure."

Chloe couldn't stop herself, didn't really want to as she leaned over and pressed a goodbye kiss to his cheek, taking in a last whiff of his scent as she pulled away. "Goodbye."

As he turned towards her she slipped out of the truck and hurried up the steps to her flat, unlocking the door and hurrying inside, locking it as she rested her back against the wood before sliding down to the ground, not even noticing Baby as the dinosaur hurried towards her happily.

"I know he's alive and okay now." She whispered to herself, closing her eyes tightly as she leaned her head back hard on the door. "That's enough. It's enough. It _is_."

Baby didn't seem to believe her. She settled in the blonde's lap, head resting against Chloe's knee, and let the human pet her as she cried.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Things had not gone any smoother for the team. There'd been a false alarm that'd culminated in Connor shooting at Peter (the arsewipe) in full mascot costume glory, and that had caused somewhat of a panic amongst the families in the park. Then again, the sight of Connor with a gun of _any size_ (or any thing that could be used a weapon for that matter) struck fear into the hearts of his teammates so Cutter could somewhat understand their panic.

Peter had wanted to call the police but Jenny had done her bullying magic once more (for the first time Nick was quite happy to see her intimidate someone) and Peter had agreed to telling the public that it was a silly stunt that had gone wrong, and Jenny had agreed to buy him a new costume...since Connor's bullet had shot the top of the lion costume's head...just barely missing the human beneath.

On a more progressive note, Jenny had been able to find out that the farm Stephen had mentioned when he'd raised them earlier on the radio belonged to a man called West who used to import exotic animals yet had lost his license three years earlier for illegally bringing in lion cubs for a private zoo. All the clues pointed to this being just an 'ordinary' big cat situation as Connor had put it, but Nick's gut told him otherwise, and it continued to do as as he'd headed towards the farm...with Jenny declaring she'd meet him there.

Obviously she didn't trust him with the public, which Nick thought was unfair considering _Connor_ was the one who'd gone and shot the arsewipe mascot and not _him_.

The West Farm in itself had been interesting in a horror-movieesque way. The place looked rundown, abandoned, and there'd been a locked section in the barn with something vicious and snarling. He'd tried to bullshit his way into getting Mr West to open up the barn but it'd taken Jenny's long eyelashes and amazing ability to flirt with fat, unattractive and smelly men to get that door open, proving that there was nothing more than very vicious, tied up dogs whom Mr West was using as guard dogs.

With that lead dried up they returned to the only true one they had, the large forest where the murder had occurred.

"You're _smashed_." Stephen chuckled, amused, into his mobile as he stood a little distance away from them. "What's the dosage they have you on?"

Abby and Connor shared amused looks.

Jenny eyed Nick. "How are you dealing with this?"

"Just peachy." He replied to her, getting the things ready.

"Yeah love, we'll be careful." Stephen ended the call and joined them. "The doctor said it's just a sprain. She's home, high as a kite on her pain meds, and watching old lassie reruns with Baby."

"And then she doesn't understand _why_ that poor thing is so confused and thinks its a puppy." Connor shook his head.

Abby grinned in amusement.

Nick began passing out gear to his team.

"What are these?" Abby wanted to know, eyeing the headgear.

"They're heat sensitive cameras." He replied. "The creature knows this territory well. It's made a kill here and I think it's gonna come back. Now most likely it's nocturnal, so it's sense are going to be sharper than ours. I shouldn't have to this but _be careful_." He gazed at his crew, feeling guilty for the relief that Chloe was injured and would have to sit this one out. "Any questions?"

Connor raised his hand. "Can I have a gun?"

Nick snorted. "Take a wild guess."

Connor pouted. "No?"

"Good guess." The blonde praised as he passed out guns to Abby and Stephen. "And if you're worried, stay close to Abby."

Stephen and Abby shared amused grins.

With the sun setting, the wood darkening, they took off in different directions, Connor with Abby, and Stephen and Nick on their on. Stephen soon phoned in to say that he'd met up with Valerie Irwin, the Deputy Park Manager, whose van had given out in the middle of the forest as she'd been heading home, and so he'd have to leave the search for now to drive her safely to her place before returning in the truck he'd borrowed from the ARC since his own had been damaged pretty badly in the accident. That left Cutter without his best tracker but he agreed fully, the safety of the civilians extremely important.

Of course, that ended up fortunate considering that it was thanks to that that Stephen managed to hear a scream for help and stumble upon the dead body of Peter Campbell, now deceased, his killer a creature too shadowed and fast to make out in the darkness of the night. If only Valerie hadn't been as stupid as to chase after Stephen, fearing for her safety, he would have probably been able to get the creature...but it escaped.

Thankfully though there's been a train spotter taking pictures, quite well hidden, and had managed to take pictures of the attack and attacker...pictures Jenny confiscated and managed to bribe the photographer into silence by massive flirtation and the promise of VIP access to the train deport of his choice.

Some men's prices were just too low for Cutter's taste.

But considering it got them the pictures...and the identity of their creature...he really shouldn't complain, should he?

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"A smilodon? You mean a sabre-tooth?" Chloe asked in surprise as she accepted the cup of tea Stephen passed her before sitting down next to her. "Isn't that the same creature my mother used as an excuse to kidnap me that time?"

"Yes, it was. They're fast, elegant, and a real natural born killer." Stephen frowned, nodding. "And this time it isn't a hoax. It's out there, killing people, and I let it escape."

"It's not your fault, Stephen." Chloe sighed, turning in the sofa to eye him better. "You did what you had to do. And if that woman had stayed in the damned truck like you told her to then you would have gotten it. I know you would have."

He turned his gaze on her before sighing. "We're the good guys, right?"

She frowned at the unexpected question. "What do you mean?"

"It's just, sometimes, I just wonder sometimes if we shouldn't be doing what we're doing." Stephen admitted, holding his own cup of tea, eye on the liquid. "These anomalies have happened in the past and I don't believe people have messed with them then. What if...I don't know...what if we aren't _supposed _to mess with them? To cover things up? People are getting hurt because they don't know what's happening."

She could understand the reasoning, could see both sides of the issue...believing as well that people should know...but knowing that mass hysteria was _never _a good thing.

Unable to answer, the blonde sipped her tea, feeling tired as the pain meds she'd just taken began to kick in. She only managed to finish her tea and place it on the coffee table before resting her head against Stephen's shoulder, eyelids heavy.

"Come on now Sleeping Beauty." He finished his tea in a quick gulp and put down his cup, turning and gathering her in his arms as he stood. "Time to take my junkie girlfriend to bed."

"Shut up, I'm not a junkie." She mumbled, cradling her injured arm to her chest as he moved them towards the bedroom, Baby trailing behind. "And I'm going to work tomorrow, that was my last drowsy medicine and you couldn't keep me away from a sabre-tooth even if you tried. They've always fascinated me. Prehistoric cats."

"That was no kitty babe." Stephen lowered her onto the bed and then bent down to pick up Baby, lifting the small dinosaur onto her own bed, but not before pressing a kiss to her head. "Night you."

Baby settled down on her large cushion, obviously blissful.

Chloe smiled sleepily at the loving relationship those two had. "If I wake up and you've gone without me, I'm withholding sex from you, buddy."

"Wow, this is serious." He chuckled, stripping down to his boxers. "Maybe I should try and get some now then."

She chuckled but it turned into a yawn.

Stephen slipped into bed and turned off the lights. "Night."

She hesitated, wondering whether she should tell him about Ben.

But why do so?

It wasn't as if she'd ever see him again...and to bring Ben up...she'd finally gotten into a good, steady relationship with Stephen. She knew Stephen had a complex where Ben was concerned and she couldn't see mentioning him do any good.

So she just closed her eyes, whispered a good night, and let the medication lull her to sleep.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Stephen figured Chloe was going to drag on the 'no sex' punishment as long as she could take the arrangement herself, and considering he knew for a fact how much she loved it he felt confident that although she'd be pissed that he'd left her sleeping at home and hadn't awoken her...that things would sort themselves out quickly between them once this was over. He didn't mind risking her wrath as long as she was safe, and considering she was injured and on meds he thought it was foolish of her to want to be in the field considering they had an extremely dangers smilodon on the loose. Thankfully, this was something Cutter agreed with him on, so he knew that if Chloe should take this horribly, he'd have her father to back him up.

"There." He pointed at a point on the map he, Cutter and Abby had been going over. "If we lay a second trap there we'll have got the whole area covered."

"Okay." Nick nodded, trusting his judgment as always. "Take Connor with you."

The sound of a car door slamming caused them to turn to see Valerie descending from her vehicle, heading towards them.

"Hey." Stephen smiled. "You got it fixed."

"What?" She asked, confused as she cam towards them.

He hesitated for a second. "The van."

She looked behind her at her vehicle before looking at him once more. "It seems to be okay now." She placed her hands on her hips. "What are you doing here?"

"We're just working out where to lay traps." Cutter declared, and when he noticed her disturbed look his continued quickly. "No, don't worry, we'll leave the place looking as good as new."

"Surely you should be looking by the railway." She replied.

"No," Cutter shook his head. "It won't stay there. Too many people."

She looked at them before turning and heading hurriedly back towards her car.

Stephen frowned. "Whoa. Whoa. Valerie. Valerie." He hurried after her. "What's wrong?"

"This shouldn't be happening. None of it." She replied, tears in her eyes before she hurried passed him to her van and slid inside, slamming the door and driving away.

Stephen turned toward Cutter.

Cutter sighed. "Let her go."

Stephen nodded and did as told, heading back towards his team.

"She's been through quite a lot." Cutter added.

Just then Stephen got a message on his mobile, and he pulled it out, smirking when he saw Chloe's number and the two words written in capitals across his screen: **YOU ASSHOLE!**

Slipping the phone into his pocket, he grinned.

He was in _so_ much trouble.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

It'd taken Helen a little while but she'd finally found where Stephen and Chloe were...and she wasn't ashamed to admit how utterly shocked she was at the fact that they not only were in a romantic and sexual relationship, but that they lived together. It was obviously one of those many little differences that had been quite mind-boggling for her since she'd come back to the present and she wondered what exactly had been done to change the timeline the way it had. She also wondered if Chloe had any memory of the timeline change.

After extensive research of Nick's behavior, especially towards that damned Claudia Brown (or Jenny Lewis as she was called now) Helen had realized that her husband _did_ remember the events of the past timeline, but considering how at ease her daughter seemed to be in this relationship with Stephen Helen had to wonder. Hadn't Chloe been in love with some other boy?

Helen had to admit she was somewhat peeved by this change as part of her plans had been to seduce poor, lonely Stephen into joining her side and causing grief to the team, but with this change in circumstances she would have to alter her plan somewhat. Still though, Stephen was the weakest link, and Helen was sure that he was the one she could use.

But how to get to him?

So deep in her thoughts she nearly missed the powerful looking black truck stopping in front of Chloe and Stephen's flat, an extremely handsome young man she didn't recognize gazing up at the flat with a mixture of feelings. He seemed to be arguing with himself, looking up at the door and then down at the steering wheel and back.

His obvious struggle amused and intrigued her, as she watched him reach into his pocket and pull out a wallet, which he opened and in turn pulled a folded picture from its depths, unfolding it and staring at it as his emotions deepened on his face.

She wondered what was in the picture.

Finally he put the picture and wallet away, and with a deep sigh he got out of the truck and headed up the small flight of steps to the door, hesitating only a second before knocking.

Helen drew a little closer yet kept hidden as she watched.

The door opened and Chloe appeared, eyes wide, hair messy, still in her pajamas. "_Hey_."

"Hey." He smiled, looking somewhat embarrassed and awkward but utterly pleased to see her. "I just wanted to pop by on my way to work and make sure that you were okay."

Helen was shocked to see the profound emotion on her daughter's face. It reminded her of the way she herself had gazed at Nick once upon a very long time ago.

"I'm fine, thanks. You didn't have to go out of your way like this. That's...so very sweet." Chloe's gaze lowered, as if frightened to look him in the face. "But you don't have to worry, my...my boyfriend has been taking care of me."

Helen noted the way the male's face fell at that one word.

She also noted the way Chloe said that word like a shield, was obviously putting up a barrier between them...though it wasn't out of disinterest that was obvious. Most probably the girl was doing it because she was _very much_ interested in this boy and wanted to remind herself and him that she had a boyfriend.

She was definitely Nick Cutter's daughter.

"I'm glad." The man declared, taking in a deep breath. "I should get to work."

Chloe looked up at him, almost as if wanting to ask him to stay, before she lowered her gaze and nodded, smile anything but happy. "You probably should."

He sighed, lowering his gaze, fists clenched at his side as he turned and left without a goodbye.

Chloe looked up at watched him as he entered the black truck and pulled out onto the street, joining the lax traffic. "Oh Ben..." she whispered to herself, voice breaking, tear forming in her eyes. "Why are you making this so hard for me?"

And with that she closed the door.

Helen's eyes widened as she turned to see the truck turn the corner and disappear from sight.

Ben?

Was _this_ was the boy Chloe had loved in the original timeline?

A cunning smile tilted Helen's lips.

Things had just gotten more interesting.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Stephen might be in trouble but Nick had to say he was extremely glad that the other man had left Chloe at home. Not only had Nick been attacked by the smilodon and barely got away with his life, but while digging a hole to trap the creature they'd disappeared the savaged remains of yet another victim. He thought about what might have happened had Chloe been there with him, injured, medicated...and the thought sickened him somewhat...even more than the body that was still very much buried, only it's hand sticking out through the side of the wet mud in the deep whole they'd been making when the smilodon had attacked.

And Leek's arrival didn't help much either.

Nick didn't like the little man. He couldn't like anyone who was James Lester's little bitch like Leeks was.

"How long's he been there?" Abby called from up above, bending down to get a better look at him.

"I don't know, about a week, a month." Nick guessed, looking up at her, Connor, Stephen and Leeks.

"If the body's been there that long then the anomaly could've formed before the detector came online." Connor grinned, obviously pleased with this. "That would mean there's nothing wrong with my invention."

"There's a problem with all of this." Stephen frowned, arms folded over his chest. "The sabre-tooth may well have killed the guy but it sure as hell didn't dig a trench 10 feet deep and bury his body."

"Stephen's right." Abby agreed. "Someone knows and has been protecting it."

"West." Leeks nodded.

"What?" Nick turned to him in confusion. "What?"

"Jenny needed someone to pin an escaped lion story onto and she said this man West fitted the bill." Leeks explained. "She wanted to create a cover story for the press." He sighed. "She left half an hour ago."

Stephen turned to Nick as he started heading towards his truck. "You better stay here in case he comes back."

Nick turned to the others. "Go with him, I'll be fine."

Connor and Abby raced after Stephen.

Leeks turned to him. "I'll go and inform Lester of the new developments." Whipping out his phone, he began walking back towards his car.

Nick sighed, shook his head, and returned his attention towards the hand sticking out towards him. "It's just you and me then, eh?"

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

In this universe Clark wasn't flying around saving the world while wearing tight tights but instead was working on his parent's farm married to Lana Lang. There was an article about him having survived some explosion involving some rare and never before known of gold colored meteor rocks and that said everything to Chloe about how his happy, normal life with Lana had come about. Lois Lane, on the other hand, hopped from one temp job to the other. She was also, according to her facebook page (which should really have a more secure setting), in a relationship with some guy Chloe hadn't ever heard of, and didn't have Lucy listed as her sister. But that didn't exactly mean Lucy didn't exist in this timeline. Lois hadn't had Lucy listed as her sister in the other timeline either, mostly because of their very poor relationship.

Chloe had read up on her very own disappearance in this timeline, which apparently happened right after her father's funeral. Apparently according to the police report her mother declared that Chloe had disappeared from her bathroom in what seemed like a matter of seconds.

Yes.

In this timeline Gabriel Sullivan was dead, and yet Moira Sullivan was alive and quite well.

Bringing her hand to her mouth, Chloe closed her eyes, tears falling down her pale cheeks.

Apparently James must have given her a coverup in this timeline as well, because Chloe's 'body' had been found two years later, the cause of death had been ruled suicide. There'd even been a note which she supposed she herself had written, in which she'd apparently asked her mother to forgive her for this cowardice on her part.

Hearing her phone ring, she looked down at the caller I.D., STEPHEN flashing on the screen.

Wiping at her eyes and clearing her throat, she answered. "Hello?"

"I know you're mad...but just pretend you're not for now." Stephen sighed, voice heavy.

She frowned, worried. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Remember I told you about the Deputy Manager, Valerie?" He asked, seeming so tired.

"Yeah." She nodded, pulling a strand behind her ear.

"Turns out the anomaly that brought the smilodon here happened years ago, and she found a sabre-tooth cub in her garage one day." He replied. "She and her boyfriend raised it until it was an adult, during which it killed her boyfriend and to protect the cat she buried his remains."

Chloe gasped, bringing a hand to her lips.

"She loved it, thought we'd created it in some sort of genetic experiment and that we were back for it." Stephen's voice was so thick. "She's dead, Chloe. During the whole mess it attacked and killed her."

"Oh my god." Chloe whispered, horrified.

"It should never have happened. We could've saved her." Stephen's voice was filled with emotion. "How many more Valeries are there gonna be before we start telling people what's going on?"

"I'm sorry Stephen." She whispered, needing him to know she was there for him.

"And you know what makes this even more screwed up?" Stephen asked. "Apparently, according to Leeks the sabre-tooth died for no reason while it was being transported to the ARC and they had its body burnt because of the risk of diseases the carcass might have." He laughed, and it was a haggard sound. "We couldn't even save the creature, Chloe. We're not saving _anyone_. What good are we?"

"Stephen..." She whispered. "Come home."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"Right, that is it." Connor declared, eyeing his Anomaly Detector. "This machine is officially double-triple-checked."

Nick gazed at the boy, and then up around them as the lights dimmed, a red light flashing as an alarm began beeping.

"Demonstrations prove nothing, Connor." Jenny declared as she came towards them.

"It's not a demonstration." Connor whispered before turning to them, excitement on his face, pointing to the screen. "That's a real anomaly. Yes! It's working! It's actually working!"

Nick had to smirk at the excitement in the lad.

Jenny paused, having no sarcastic remarks now.

"All right." Nick straightened. "What are we doing standing around here for?"

"That's a good point." Connor grinned, hurrying to his side.

"Let's go." Nick started towards the doors.

Connor suddenly stopped, wincing. "Oh, no, I can't. I've got a date with Caroline. Remember I told you about her? The hot chick that picked me up at the video place?"

"A hot chick picked _you_ up?" Jenny raised an eyebrow.

Connor pouted at her. "It _could_ happen you know."

Nick paused at the door. "Is she pretty?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah."

Nick smirked. "Bummer." And with that he walked out of the door.

With a groan, Connor hurried after him.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

In a previously agreed on, isolated location, she walked towards the car parked and slid into the passenger's seat, giving the unappealing man in the driver's seat a raised eyebrow.

He pulled out an envelope filled with money and passed it over to her. "Your payment."

She slid the money out and counted the bills.

"I think you'll find it's all there." He assured her.

She put the money back into the envelope. "It's not enough."

He raised an eyebrow. "It's what we agreed."

"You haven't got that little creep Connor trying to put his tongue in your mouth." Caroline replied, disgust obvious on her face.

"Sometimes you have to take one for the team." He replied, obviously amused. "But, for what it's worth, you have my sympathy."

Realizing she wouldn't be getting more for this job, Caroline sighed. "He's okay, I suppose."

"Stay close to him and find out anything you can." Her employer ordered.

"What's this all about anyway?" She asked, intrigued, then off her look she snorted. "None of my business. I get it." Opening the door she slid out and turned towards him. "I'll be in touch."

Oliver Leeks watched her as she closed the door and walked away, a cunning smile on his face.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Stephen stepped out of his truck when she emerged from the shadows. "What do you want?"

"Is that how you talk to your future mother in law?" Helen's lips twitched in a smirk, eyes intent on him.

"Go to hell." He sneered at her, locking his truck and heading towards the flat.

"Does the name _Ben_ mean anything to you?"

He stopped, feeling sick as he turned to face her. "What games are you playing, Helen?"

"He's found her you know." Helen smirked the words he'd prayed he'd never hear. "And even though she's fighting to keep him out of her life it's obvious she still cares for him." She tilted her head slightly. "Let's be brutally honest. She loves _him_. Not you."

Stephen's eyes narrowed as he snarled and took a couple of menacing steps towards her. "Shut up!"

"Hurts, doesn't it? Knowing that the one you love is in love with another?" She asked, remembering the kiss between Nick and Claudia Brown...remembering watching his pathetic attempt outside of Jenny's house. "And I doubt Nick's too happy about you screwing his wife and then his daughter. I'm sure, should he find out Ben's found her again and is _obviously_ interested in her..."

She let the rest hang.

Stephen's hands tightened into fists, remembering the conversation he'd overheard between Cutter and Chloe.

"You know better than I that Nick _means_ well, but sometimes he's very _wrong_." Helen declared, taking a step towards him. "He's wrong in assuming this other boy is better for her than you are, and he's wrong with how he's going about dealing with the anomalies and the creature incursions. You know that."

Stephen narrowed his eyes on her. "What do you _want_, Helen?"

She just smiled and turned, disappearing back into the shadows.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

**Review?**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own Primeval/Smallville

Sequel to: Primeval - Season one

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Something was up with Stephen. Chloe wasn't sure what exactly it was since he didn't seem mad at her or at anyone in general, but he was obviously preoccupied, his mind constantly somewhere else. It wasn't that he was so distracted that his work or their home life was suffering, that wasn't the case at all, but Chloe prided herself in knowing her boyfriend. Sure, she was still newish when it came to having an intimate relationship with Stephen, but she'd known him extremely well in the original timeline, had been very close, and knew when something was on his mind. It was the way he'd sometimes zone out while looking out of the window, or while gazing at her...there was a flash of darkness before it was gone and he was back to the Stephen everyone knew and loved.

She doubted anyone else was picking up on his oddness, but they didn't know him as well as she did. Sure, her father had known Stephen for many more years than she had, but she knew things about Stephen only a lover ever could...and she knew that something was seriously bothering him. It worried her. She wished he would confide in her and tell her what was wrong but she respected his need for space and privacy, and it wasn't as if she didn't have some secrets of her own.

Thankfully, Abby's constant complaining about Connor's pseudo-girlfriend, Caroline, always being around and being a pain in the 'arse' was a good distraction and kept Chloe from getting paranoid.

That, and the anomalies, kept both her _and_ Stephen from over-thinking their issues she supposed.

"The boy's name was Lucien Hope." Jenny declared as they gazed down at the uncovered manhole, an anomaly had opened and closed before anyone could get a reading on where it'd been exactly, and a boy had been reported missing in the same general region. "His friends said he seemed to be struggling with something."

"Did they see anything?" Nick asked, bending on his knees alongside Stephen, both staring into the dark abyss below.

"No." Jenny shook her head.

"Maybe he just lost his footing." Chloe mumbled, gazing at the basketball court across the street. The victim, Lucien, had been playing over there when he'd fumbled a ball and had come here to retrieve it.

"No, this lid's been lifted clean off." Stephen shook his head.

"Water pressure?" Jenny chanced a guess.

"Could be..." Nick narrowed his eyes at the opening. "But the rainfall's been below average for the month and floods don't happen for no reason."

"So that means the anomaly's under water." Chloe sighed as she turned to face them once more.

"I believe so." Her father nodded, turning to Jenny. "Where does this drain go?"

"Back to the canal." She replied.

Nick thought for a moment. "Seal it off and tell Abby and Connor to meet us at the other end."

"Okay." Jenny nodded, sludging away in the mud with her expensive heels, arms flung out for balance and yet still managing to somehow make it look _classy_.

Stephen stared into the darkness below. "You think he's still alive?"

"I don't know." Nick replied truthfully. "But I'm not giving up on him until I know for sure."

Chloe groaned. "We're going down there, aren't we?"

"Come on," Stephen looked up at her and grinned. "It'll be fun."

"Fun? _Fun_?" She glared at him. "Stephen, you _know_ I'm claustrophobic!"

He frowned. "You're claustrophobic? Since when?"

She made a face at him. "I don't know?" She brought her hands to her hips, voice higher in pitch and sarcasm. "Since Deputy Gary Watts kidnapped and buried me alive in a coffin under the windmill in Chandler's Field?"

"_What_?" Nick snapped, looking up at her.

"Why haven't you ever told me this?" Stephen frowned darker, standing.

To be honest, Chloe was shocked herself.

Why _hadn't_ she told Stephen about that?

She'd told _Ben_...

Chloe looked away, shaking her head.

She wasn't going to do that.

She _wasn't_!

She needed to forget about Ben and put him behind her for good.

Then again, now that she thought about it, this version of her had never lived in Smallville and thus had never been buried alive. This version of her was probably not claustrophobic at all, and that would explain her lack of story telling or previous claustrophobic instances. There was just so much confusion due to this timeline being so different from the original one.

"Its not important." Chloe took in a deep breath, shaking her head. "That kid might be still alive down there and hurt, and we need to get him to safety."

Stephen stared into her face before nodding. "We'll talk about this later."

"There's really nothing to talk about." She mumbled, yet the look he gave her before they grabbed their gear, flashlights on, and lowered themselves into the drainage system below was one of promise.

Chloe tried concentrating on her job, tried keeping calm, but sometimes flashes of her in the coffin caused her to shiver and jump at every little shadow. She scolded herself and kept up with Nick and Stephen, holding onto her flashlight tightly, taking solace in that beam of light.

The passageways were like arching catacombs, all dark and murky and having seen better days.

Suddenly a whale-like song sounded in the distance, causing the three to stop in their tracks.

The sound was hauntingly beautiful.

"What the hell is that?" Stephen whispered, shining his light in the general direction of the sound. "Lucien?"

The whale-like singing returned.

"Stephen, it's not human." Nick informed, listening to the sound intently.

Something crashed in the distance.

"Lucien!" Stephen yelled as he hurried after the sound.

Nick and Chloe hurried after him, following Stephen towards where the brick hallways led to a water-filled area which no doubt traced back to the canal just in time to hear splashing as something dove into the murky depths and out of sight.

"Come on," Nick turned to them. "They can only get out into the canal."

They hurried back the way they'd come from, never noticing the man hiding in the shadows, watching them.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Leading the trio as they raced unto the boat, Nick ignored Connor and Abby, who were arguing as per usual while loading things into the boats, and gazed at the canal, knowing he wouldn't be able to see anything but that it was no doubt there.

"Is there any way out of this canal?" He asked, turning to Abby urgently.

She shook her head, wearing a life jacket as were Connor and Jenny. "The locks have been closed. It's completely sealed."

"Then it's still in here." He replied breathlessly, his suspicions confirmed.

"What is?" Connor asked.

"Not sure, but we have to find out fast." He replied, turning to look back at the water. "It's going to be dark in a few hours." He turned to Jenny. "Jenny, go in that boat with Abby and Connor. You see anything, call us." He turned to his daughter. "Stephen, Chloe, you're with me. Let's go."

He watched as his people got into their assigned boats, Stephen giving Chloe a hand as she stepped aboard.

They took off into the canal, searching, trying to find the anomaly or a sign of the creature, but the sun continued to lower in the horizon and the sky continued to grow darker with no sign of either thing they searched for.

By the time Stephen finally spoke, it'd been night for some awhile. "We've been searching for hours. We're never gonna see anything in this light."

"What's that over there?" Chloe asked.

"Where?" They turned to where she was huddled on the seat, hugging herself.

"There." She pointed.

Nick turned to their driver. "Can you get us a bit closer here?"

As the driver did as told Nick pulled out a hook and reached for the thing Chloe had noticed, Stephen's light shining on it revealing to them.

"It looks like _skin_." Stephen frowned as he gazed at the thing.

"Yeah, from a mammal." Nick agreed as he examined the specimen. "Looks like whatever it is just shrugged it off."

"Okay, that's nasty." Chloe declared, making no attempt to come survey her find.

"This is fascinating." Stephen mumbled. "What sort of mammal sheds it skin?"

Nick looked up at him.

That was a good question.

"Um, guys?" Chloe asked. "What's Jenny doing in the water? And are there _supposed_ to be sharks here?"

"_What_?" Nick turned rapidly, following Chloe's gaze to find Jenny swimming desperately towards the boat, a fin in the water behind her, gaining speed. "Get us there! NOW!"

Their driver turned them and sped towards the creature and Jenny, Stephen grabbing his gun.

The fin continued to gain speed on the woman.

Nick's heart raced, pained him. "We have to go faster!"

"_Swim_!" Chloe yelled out at the woman who probably couldn't hear them over the terror she must be experiencing.

As they neared Nick reached out. "Come on Jenny, here. Quickly!"

"Cutter!" She cried out, grabbing his hand as the fin grew dangerously close.

Stephen opened fire on the creature with rapid precision, blood tinting the water red as Nick pulled Jenny into the safety of their boat.

"Good shot, Stephen!" Abby could be heard yelling from the other boat.

"Jenny, are you alright?" Chloe asked. "Were you hurt?"

The body of the creature floated on the surface of the water.

Stephen spoke into his headset. "Get the body to the ARC ASAP."

"Great shooting, baby." Chloe smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around Stephen as she pressed a kiss to his lips.

An arm went around her as he pecked her lips before turning to Jenny. "Are you okay?"

She shivered, in shock, and clung to Nick.

Had it been another situation Nick Cutter would have been in heaven right now, but as they made their way to the dock and started their way back to the ARC, he couldn't help but feel disturbed. Something wasn't right.

He continued to feel that even once they made it back, and the body of the creature was returned. Then again, maybe he couldn't feel right when Jenny was wrapped in a blanket, just sitting and _staring_ at the body of the creature that'd nearly killed her as it was sustained in the air by its tail by a forklift truck.

The scientist sighed as he made his way to her, gaze going to the creature before returning to her. "How are you doing?

"Three months ago, my idea of a life and death issue was getting front row seats and London Fashion Week." She replied, unable to take her eyes off of the creature. "How do you think I'm doing?"

"You don't have to do this." Nick's heart hurt at the thought of not seeing her daily, but it'd hurt more to see her in danger. "You can quit."

She took in a deep breath. "I think I'll take my chances."

"Look Claudia..." he flinched when she reacted to that. "I'm so sorry. Jenny."

"You know what?" Jenny turned to him. "You saved my life. So, just for tonight, you can call me anything you like. But for the record, I _really_ hate that name."

He nodded, unable to keep a small smile off of his face. "Okay." His smile though, it melted off of his face as he gazed back up at her. "Does your fiance, does he know what you are doing?"

"He knows I'm working for the Government, that's all." She took in a little breath. "Luckily, he's not very curious. Not about my work anyway."

He nodded once more, not sure what to say.

"So, what about you?" She asked curiously. "Do you have someone?"

"Erm...No." What a can of worms that question was! "I'm not particularly good at that. My wife, Chloe's mother, left me eight and a half years ago to travel through the anomalies and the next woman that I liked, she..." he hesitated, the wound still so very fresh. "She left." He nodded, clearing his throat. "Yeah, I don't seem to be a particularly attractive romantic proposition at the moment."

She giggled softly as she watched him.

He couldn't help but smile too although his heart was breaking. "And on that note, if you'll excuse me, I have a hot date with a dead shark."

He walked away to the look of a smile on her face, and that was all he could truly ask for, wasn't it?

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Nick's autopsy of the creature had proved that it had a large, tooth-covered tongue that shot out of its body and wrapped around its victims to drag them back into its mouth. Her father was sure that this was the future evolution of sharks, and that was both exciting and terrifying because while once more an anomaly to the future was opened, the last time something from the future had crawled into the present things had been tricky. The only good thing was that an examination of its insides proved that this thing hadn't eaten Lucien Hope, but that also meant that there was either another shark, or another creature, still in the canal, and Stephen and Nick were differing on opinions as to what had to be done about it.

Nick believed that all evidence pointed to a marine mammal that shed its skin like a seal or a walrus.

To be honest, Chloe hadn't even realized that seals and walruses shed skin and that made her feel somewhat ignorant.

To be up to par with her colleagues she was really going to have to read up so much more than she was doing at the present.

Stephen believed the shark was to blame, and that put him against Nick on what they were up against and how to deal with it.

And Chloe was stuck in the middle of her father and lover.

It was a place she didn't quite like being in.

Stephen wanted to drag the canal, sure that whatever the thing was it had to be in there.

Nick disagreed, his point being that if it was a mammal it could leave the water so they should widen the search.

Surprisingly enough, Lester had favored Stephen's course of action, and had ordered the canal be searched once more in the morning. Only if nothing turned out was he apparently willing to consider widening the search.

And their problems weren't the only ones on her mind.

"In the _fridge_?" Chloe gasped, horrified, gaze going to where Baby was laying on Stephen's stomach as he rubbed the dinosaur's head, watching the television in bed. "How did he get _there_?"

"It's that _witch_ I tell you." Abby hissed into the phone. "She locked him in the fridge, I know she did! Stupid Connor and his stupid girlfriend!"

"Is he alright? Rex I mean?" Chloe asked, going to the balcony and closing the french door behind her, not noticing a jogger in the distance on the street below. "Do you need anything? Can I help in any way?"

"He's fine." Abby replied with a sigh. "Thanks for offering, but I have everything under control."

"If you need anything just let me know." Chloe insisted.

"I will." Abby nodded. "I might need you to give me an alibi in case Connor is found dead tomorrow."

Chloe chuckled, understanding Abby's protective anger, if anyone had hurt Baby she'd be the same way. "_Try_ not to commit double homicide tonight?"

"Double?" She asked curiously.

"Well, I doubt Caroline will get off free." Chloe replied as Stephen lowered a sleeping Baby on her bed and slipped out, shirtless and wearing his pajama pants low on his hips as he stalked her towards the balcony, opening the door and peeking his head out. She smiled at him, still speaking to Abby. "Are you sure you're not just _jealous_ about her relationship with Connor?"

Abby sputtered. "T-that's ridiculous! This is _Connor_ we're talking about here!"

Stephen grinned as he stepped around Chloe and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, leaning his chin against her shoulder. "I think she's just pissed because the girl can cook _and_ fight."

Abby growled. "Chloe, don't be telling Stephen what I tell you!"

"You told me that while the three of us were in the truck! I hardly told him anything!" Chloe defended, leaning back against Stephen, enjoying his body heat.

Abby paused. "Oh. Right. I apologize."

"_Stephen_..." Chloe gasped as Stephen began to nibble on her neck, his fingers slipping passed her slacks' waistband.

He chuckled, tasting her skin with his tongue, as he slid his hands completely underneath and pulled her back against his hard on.

Abby groaned. "Eww. Don't think I can't hear you. See you two perverts tomorrow, go jump each other in peace." With a chuckled she ended the conversation.

Stephen turned them around quickly, pushing her back against the balcony, gazing down at her. "How's your arm?"

"It's fine." Chloe smiled. "I've told you that it's only slightly sore now. I'm _fine_."

His hands on her hips, Stephen opened his mouth to say something when suddenly his gaze focused on something behind her, and darkness flared in his eyes.

Chloe frowned, concerned, and was in mid-turn when suddenly he was kissing her with a desperate intensity that left her breathless and barely able to keep up as she kissed him back.

Stephen walked backwards, never breaking their kiss as they pushed through the doors and collapsed on the bed.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

He'd been outside their flat.

He'd been outside their goddamned flat!

Stephen couldn't keep the edge off as he walked with Cutter the next day towards where the boats were waiting on them so they could search the canal.

He'd known what Helen had said, and god knew that he'd gone over her words and insinuations over and over again these last couple of weeks while Chloe healed from her injury...but he'd never expected to see the damned bastard jogging outside of his own flat! And the bastard had obviously known that Chloe was there because he'd been watching, and the man had looked damned _hurt_ when he'd seen Stephen with her. Stephen was her boyfriend for fucks sake! It pissed him off so damned much! And then he'd had that moment's panic when she'd noticed his reaction and had turned to see what he was looking at.

He hadn't been able to let her.

He'd kissed her, proving to that man and her whom she belonged to.

Or maybe, just maybe, he was trying to prove to himself.

And dammit, that pissed him off even more!

He'd never been like this when it came to a woman and he doubted he ever would again. He loved and hated how much she'd changed him, how much she'd made him realize he could _care_ for someone else! It was scary and frustrating and utterly marvelous!

And he wasn't about to give that up.

"Look," Cutter spoke up, breaking into Stephen's dark thoughts. "There's something about this that doesn't add up."

Stephen stopped and turned to look at his friend and mentor.

"I think we should widen the search to the canal's side." Cutter declared.

"This is another one of your hunches, isn't it?" Stephen asked. "We can't just drop everything, you know. There's a plan in place. Good plan."

"Well, when have I ever been wrong?" Cutter cried out, and then paused and flinched off of the look Stephen sent him. "Except about women, generally."

Stephen chuckled, some of his poor mood melting into amusement. "Look at the odds, Cutter. It's got to be in the canal."

"Look, just give me a few minutes." Cutter just wasn't letting go. "I want to look over there."

"What am I going to tell Lester?" Stephen wanted to know, his annoyance slightly creeping back in.

This was a good, solid plan.

Why couldn't Cutter see this?

Why was he always doubting him?

Second guessing him?

"Cover for me."

"No." Stephen shook his head. "Because you're wasting time."

Cutter gazed at him in silence for a second before: "Ten minutes."

And then he walked away.

Stephen watched him go and let out a little growl, throwing his hands in the air.

"Where's my father going?" Chloe reached his side, eyeing Cutter's retreating figure.

"He wants to check the side of the canal despite the fact that it's senseless to do so." Stephen replied, running a hand over his hair.

"Why is it senseless?" Chloe asked in confusion, turning to look back at him. "There is the possibility that there's something else here, Stephen, I mean sharks can't sing...and what we heard yesterday was definitely-."

"So you're on _his_ side?" Stephen snapped, unable to control his anger and mounting frustration.

Her eyes widened and she stepped back. "Whoa there, I'm not taking sides. I'm thinking logically."

He looked away, swallowing back a mean-spirited retort.

"Stephen, what's _going on_?" She whispered, putting her hand on his arm. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Like _you_ tell me everything?" He growled at her.

Her eyes widened. "_What_?"

He snarled at himself, not wanting to bring up this _Ben_ guy. That was the _last_ thing he wanted to do! "It's not important."

"No, Stephen, something's been bothering you and obviously it has something to do with me. If you want me to be truthful I'll be truthful." Chloe held on tighter, face grim. "We need to talk."

He flinched at those four dreaded words. "I'm going ahead with the Alpha Team, you, Connor and Abby wait for Cutter to finally deign to join us."

And with that he shrugged off her hold and walked away, calling himself all sorts of idiot.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Everything was quickly going to the shit house.

As Chloe paced the dock while her father dropped a microphone into the water and listened for whatever he was expecting to hear, she couldn't help but curse silently in her mind. Not only were things deteriorating with Stephen now that she'd finally been ready to truly commit, but her father had been attacked by some man and knocked unconscious. Of course Cutter had seemingly chosen to forget that due to the fact that when he'd awoken in the belly of one of the ships he'd chased the man onto he'd heard some sonic noise or sonar call or whatever the devil it was...but Chloe wasn't. Her boyfriend was pissed at her and her father had some madman attacking him.

"You know that guy that hit you?" Connor decided to bring up, as he sat across from Nick, a pair of headphones around his neck as well. "What if he comes back?"

Abby stood agitatedly behind him.

"He won't." Nick declared. "I've seen him before."

"What?" Chloe turned from her pacing. "Where?"

"In the mall." Her father replied, hands on the headphones he had on. "It was the cleaner."

Chloe's eyes widened as she turned to Connor. "Didn't you say you'd seen him too?"

"What?" Nick's eyes widened as he lowered his headphones. "Where?"

"At the ARC." Connor replied. "He was...uh...he was dressed like a soldier."

"You sure?" Nick frowned.

Connor nodded. "Yeah."

Nick turned to look at all of them. "All right, something's going on. We're being watched."

"Lester." Connor guessed.

"Maybe." Nick nodded as he put back on his headphones.

Chloe frowned, gaze going to the boat out in the distance, where her pissed off boyfriend was. "We should get Stephen, let him know."

"_Shh_." Nick motioned for her to be quiet as he listened intently. "Are you recording this?"

Connor nodded as he put on his on headphones and listened.

"What does that sound like to you?"

"Don't know." Connor admitted. "But like something I heard once in Glastonbury in a chill out tent."

Abby scoffed. "Glastonbury?"

"Yeah." Her flatmate nodded.

"Like you've ever been to Glastonbury!" She snorted.

"How would _you_ know?" He glared at her.

"Look, what's going on with the pair of you?" Nick snapped at them, pulling off his headphones.

"Connor's dating Cruella de Vil." Abby grumbled.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Connor cried. "It was an accident! How many times do I-?"

"_Shhh_!" Nick hushed.

Chloe took the headphones from Connor and put them on herself as she sat down next to him, listening to the whale-like song in the water. "It's the same singing from yesterday."

Nick nodded, turning to Connor. "All right. Grab those recordings and let's get into the boat."

They gathered up the recordings and the equipment and loaded them into their boat before heading out deep into the water.

"Okay, here's what we'll do." Nick declared as they lowered a machine into the murky water. "We'll play back the recordings and see if we can invite him to come and see us."

"Do we _really_ want to be in the middle of the water if it comes at us?" Chloe asked, closing and flexing the fist of her injured hand, which was somewhat sore with the weather.

"We'll be fine." Her father assured her, listening intently to the headphones, gazing at the water around them.

Abby kept searching around the boat, gazing at the water.

Chloe sat listening to the sound of the whale-like song, a headache growing in her skull, almost as if her mind was telling her she should know this, should know what it was. But she didn't, and that headache grew.

Abby gasped and stood up. "Guys..."

Chloe pulled an ear of the headphone off as the others turned to Abby expectantly.

The pixie-like girl stared at the water before shaking her head. "Nothing."

Connor sighed and stood as well. "Maybe no one's home, eh?" When Nick didn't react he made a face. "I think this is silly. We should be back helping Stephen search the canal, Cutter."

"It's not in the canal." Cutter replied, not taking his eyes off of the water.

Suddenly a roar behind them caused them to turn to see a large creature leap out of the water and grab Abby, yanking her off of the boat and into the water.

"Abby!" Chloe screamed, tearing off the headphones and going to the side of the boat.

"Something's taken her!" Connor panicked, grabbing a gun.

"Put that down!" Nick yelled as he tore off his jacket. "You could kill Abby!" And with that he dove into the cold, murky water.

"I can't see her." Connor whispered.

Chloe gazed over the side at the darkness of the water. "Come on Abby, where are you?"

Nick surfaced, looking around, sputtering. "Get help! Now!"

He dove back under but couldn't find her. No matter how many times he surfaced and went back under he couldn't.

Even half an hour later, with a helicopter flying above and scuba divers in the water...no one could find a trace of her or the predator that'd taken her from them.

Connor was destroyed, especially as the search had been finally called off, and had had to be taken off of the site and escorted back to the flat he'd shared with the pixie-blonde.

Lester was, as always, accompanied by that sniveling Leek and ever unpleasant as he clasped his hands behind his back and spoke to Nick. "I suppose being a team player for just once in your life was completely beyond you."

"I'll take responsibility for this." Nick nodded.

"You couldn't have known this would happen!" Chloe exclaimed, yet went for the majority ignored.

"But it's still out there." Nick told Lester. "We are very close and we still have to finish the job."

"This job's already finished. For you." Lester replied point blank. "Go home."

"Wait, you can't fire him." Chloe glared at the annoying, little man. "If it wasn't for him-."

"Miss Maitland would still be alive." Leeks declared.

"Do _not_ put all the blame on him! He was right! The creature _was_ there!"

Lester eyed her before turning to Stephen. "You're in charge now."

Stephen frowned and turned to look at Nick.

"Oh, don't look at him, look at _me_." Lester ordered. "Come on. What do you want?"

Chloe turned to Stephen, waiting for him to champion her father's cause.

He didn't.

Instead he turned to Lester. "Something better than sonar."

"_Stephen_." She whispered, horrified.

He ignored her, eyes on Lester. "We have to go over every inch of the canal again. A remote control submarine could do it."

Lester turned to Leek. "Get it for him."

"You're looking in the wrong place." Nick whispered.

Lester turned to Stephen. "Do you agree?"

"_No_." Stephen replied firmly.

Her father shook his head and walked away, purposely bumping his shoulder in Lester's as he left.

"Nick!" Chloe called after him. "Dad!" She went to try go after him but was stopped by Stephen's arm on her shoulder. "Let me go!"

"There's no time for this." Stephen told her before turning to Lester. "Whatever took Abby is in the canal."

"You were wrong before." She whispered to him.

Stephen flinched and looked away.

The blonde turned to Lester. "You're making a huge mistake firing my father, and you're too stupid and pompous to even realize it. The ARC is _nothing _without him."

Lester raised an eyebrow at her before sliding his gaze towards Stephen. "Get her in line or she'll be fired as well."

Chloe shook her head. "You don't have to fire me. I _quit_."

And like her father before her, she walked away, the CD with the recording of the creature's song in her pocket.

She fumed as she reached Stephen's truck, rummaging through the back before pulling out a CD player. Plopping the CD in and putting on the earphones, the whale-like singing returned, louder and clearer, a haunting melody echoing in her head. The sound was achingly familiar, an itch in the back of her mind she couldn't quite scratch. What was it about this sound? Where had she heard it before? Weren't these creatures supposed to be from the future? She'd never been to the future. The only time she'd been through anomalies they'd all been connected to the past...even the one in which she'd been found in after her two year stint.

So why would the song of a future creature seem so _familiar_?

Turning up the volume of the recording, Chloe brought a hand to her head as she leaned against the outside of the truck, feeling slightly dizzy.

The song called out hauntingly like a forgotten dream.

Chloe felt her feet beginning to move on their own, and she felt drawn, turning up the volume on the CD player until it was the only thing she could hear, the melody completely drowning out any outside noise. Flashes of the creature who'd taken Abby, of water, of rocky shore, flickered before her eyes as she moved, feeling like in a trance.

The song called...and she couldn't not answer.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

By his truck, Nick looked out of the water, images of Abby getting taking taunting him over and over again. It was his fault. It was all his fault. The girl had been so young and beautiful and intelligent, with such a wonderful life ahead of her, but because of his wounded pride and his unwillingness to call for backup he'd gotten her killed.

He turned and headed back towards his truck, towards the open map there.

"You're not supposed to be here."

He looked up to see Jenny approaching. "Well, where else am I going to go?"

"I could have you thrown out." She commented in a conversational matter.

"Yep, you could." He agreed, eyes going back to the map.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded paper, handing it to him. "Thought you might be interested in this. A local builder has lodged a complaint. He can't get in and demolish an old warehouse because the basement flooded in the tidal surge."

He looked up at that.

Jenny smiled smugly at him. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we _are_ looking for the creatures in the wrong place. At the very least it's definitely worth checking out."

Nick turned to look at her, unable to believe it.

Jenny smiled at him before turning and beginning to walk away.

"Hey." He called out, waiting till she'd turned to look at him. "As petty-minded bureaucrats go, you're the best."

Her lips twitched in a grin as she nodded and left, hips swaying.

He watched her go, shaking his head with a smile, falling just a little bit more in love with her.

Claudia Brown, or not.

Nick pulled out his phone and dialed Chloe's number, but it rung out.

He sighed, realizing she was probably out with Stephen looking in the wrong damned place.

He hesitated, gazing at his phone, before calling Connor. It rang and rang before the call was answered, and yet there was no greeting. The boy was obviously suffering somewhat terribly, and Nick hated himself for being the cause of all of this.

"Connor, I know how you feel, but I need your help." He took in a deep breath, gaze going to the water. "I think I know where to look." There was silence. "_Connor_." He closed his eyes. "Look, listen to me. It's my fault. I should have asked for backup and I didn't. That arrogance cost the life of a very brave, very beautiful girl. And you...you're right to blame me. But surely, if there's even half a chance that we can stop the same thing happening to somebody else, then we owe it to Abby to do it." He took in a deep breath. "And this time I'm asking for backup, so will you come and help me, please?" He waited...and yet other than breathing heard nothing. "Connor." He hung his head low. "Okay... If you change your mind Jenny Lewis knows where to find me."

And with that he hung up the phone.

He had an old, abandoned warehouse he needed to check out.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Helicopter flying overhead, Stephen tried pushing all the many thoughts and problems out of his head as he sat with another agent of ARC, looking at the mini sub's camera as it combed the canal.

"We've swept the whole canal." The sub's operator declared, looking up from the controls.

"Sweep it again." Stephen declared, eyeing the video feed, refusing to doubt himself and his choices. Everyone else that mattered had, Cutter, Chloe...he couldn't let himself doubt as well. "Paul! Back it up! Back it up!" He gazed at an entrance large enough for a man to swim through. "There. Try there."

"Listen, the opening's too small." Paul shook his head. "We're going to smash up the sub."

"I'll buy you a new one." Stephen insisted. "Just keep going."

He wasn't wrong.

He _wasn't._

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

It was only when she tripped and nearly fell that Chloe realized she was walking in a dark, damp place. Where exactly she was or how she'd found herself there were questions she couldn't truly answer, but given the fact that her legs were slightly sore she guessed she'd walked, quite a good distance. It disturbed her that she couldn't remember doing any of this walking though. The last thing she truly remembered was leaning against the truck listening to the creature's song and if she hadn't almost fallen would she still be in that trance-like state heading to only god knew where? Was it the song? Was listening to it so intently entrancing? Was it hypnotic? A means of getting prey? By somehow hypnotizing them with their song like the sirens of mythology?

Frowning, Chloe pulled off the headphones and rested them around her neck as she reached into her jacket's pocket and stopped the recordings, instead looking around her.

She seemed to be in some sort of warehouse.

Reaching into her pocket she searched for her cellular yet couldn't find it. She must have either left it in the truck or dropped it on the way here...wherever 'here' was.

It was some sort of warehouse, obviously, and she seemed to be in the basement, where there were large crate boxes stacked around. That in itself made her wary as she was standing on top of one of said large crates, water covering three fourths of these large containers. And not only that. The only way she could have gotten to where she was would have been to jump from another higher walk around on top of the closest crate and then jump from one crate to the other...

And she had no memory of this.

This wasn't just normal walking.

There was _Olympic_ sort of jumping involved.

How could the thrall of the song be so strong?

"I need to get out of here." She whispered, turning to head back in the direction she must have come from.

Suddenly light errupted behind her, and she could feel the throbbing of heat and life.

Chloe breathed in a gasp, feeling each throb as if it were her own as the energy seared through her.

Slowly she turned, eyes widening as it fell upon the anomaly.

This was it.

This was ground zero.

She gulped.

Ahead of her...was the future.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Following the directions on the paper, Nick had found the warehouse and snuck inside, finding his way as down as he could, until he came upon the entrance to the lower chambers, which was grated and padlocked with a chain. He bent to test the strength of the lock and chain, finding it proper strong, and without the right tools he'd be unable to get any further.

Hearing a sound behind him, Nick saw Connor.

"This help?" Connor raised the crowbar in his hand.

"Yeah." Nick nodded, reaching for it. "Yeah, that will do the trick." Uncomfortable silence fell upon them as he gazed at the padlock. "Thanks for coming."

"With respect, I'm not doing it for you." Connor replied truthfully, still so horribly pale and haunted looking. "Its what she would have wanted." He gulped. "We had an argument. A lot of things we said to each other were mean and stupid."

Nick's gaze lowered to the crowbar in his hand. "She knew how much you cared about her."

"You think?" Connor's voice broke with emotion.

"Yeah, I know." Nick assured.

"Yeah." Connor cleared his throat and came to bend down next to Nick, a handheld Anomaly Detector in his hand. "Why isn't Chloe here helping you?"

"She's with Stephen and the others in the canal." Nick replied, eyes on the crowbar.

"And you're sure that's the wrong place." Connor took in a deep breath.

Nick nodded.

"Okay then." Connor declared, gaze lowering.

Nick eyed him. "You alright?"

Connor turned to look at him and nodded. "Yeah."

"You know, Lester fired me."

Connor blinked. "Did he now?"

Nick nodded, before getting to work on the padlock.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

A beeping sound coming from his bag caused Stephen to look up from the video feed of the sub's progress. He stood and hurried to his duffle bag, rummaging through it before pulling out the handheld Anomaly Detector, which was picking up the opening of an Anomaly very close by.

"The anomaly. It's reopened." He took over the control of the sub, steering it in the direction shown on the Detector.

"You'll crash it." Paul frowned.

"Sue me."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

They'd finally made it down into the subterranean level when Connor's Detector went off, sounding the alarm that the anomaly had reopened once more and was in close proximity. The signal had led them to a brick wall, and Nick had taken out all of his pent-up frustration against it with the help of the crowbar Connor had brought. He'd pounded away at it, remembering over and over again the second Abby had been taken from them. It was his grief and guilt which had fueled him, giving him the strength he needed to break through a clear a path big enough for Connor and himself to pass through...and when they did...they were greeted to the sound of someone screaming for help.

Lucien Hope was still alive, and when they rescued him from the bottomless tank of rising water he'd been trapped in he'd immediately sputtered five words that had caused both Nick and Connor to freeze.

"We have to save Abby."

Abby was alive.

She was _alive_!

Just before they'd managed to break through one of the creatures had grabbed her and pulled her through one of the pipes, and as soon as Connor found out he looked at the handheld Anomaly Detector and took off running, screaming her name.

"Connor!" Nick called after him, but the boy was gone. He turned to the boy still with him. "Lucien, what did it look like?"

A creature growled as it pulled itself out of the tank they'd just taken the boy from.

"Like that!" Lucien cried, hurrying to his feet. "I ain't going back in those tanks again!"

Nick stood as the things growled at them, flashing large tusks. It was huge, seeming like some amalgamation between a seal, a walrus, an ape and possibly a snake.

It was terrifying and magnificent.

"What the _hell_ is that?" He whispered, unable to look away from this new and fascinating creature. "Lucien, just stay where you are."

The boy disobeyed, grabbing a chunk of crumbled wall and throwing it to the pipes next to the creature, the piece bouncing off and landing hard on the creature's head, knocking it unconscious. "Yes!" He fist-pumped the air. "Two points! Who says I can't play?"

Nick patted the boy's arm, impressed. "Nice shot."

Suddenly another of those things came sliding out of one of the pipes and crashed into Nick, sending them both flying into one of the bottomless tanks of water.

He surfaced, taking in a desperate gulp of water, the sound of growls behind him alerting him to the presence of the creature.

Slowly, gulping, Nick turned to find himself face to face with the thing.

This was it.

There was no escaping.

Suddenly the water bubbled up between them, and a mini submarine surfaced, its video-camera aimed straight at Nick's face.

He frowned at it. "What the hell?"

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"What the _hell_?" Stephen frowned at the video feed of Nick Cutter, before suddenly something attacked at the sub and the last thing he saw before everything went black was Lucien Hope helping Nick quickly out of the water. "Give me a gun." He stood. "Give me a pistol."

Paul gave him both.

Securing them, Stephen took in a deep breath and jumped off of the boat into the murky water beneath.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Below the cliffs where she stood, thousands of ape/walrus/seal/something creatures gathered upon the rocks, soaking up sunlight. The world around her was unlike anything she could recognize, then again she could be in a part of the world she hadn't been in before. She wondered if this was the same time in the future that her mother had traveled to when she'd left them to go through the future anomaly. She wondered if she didn't have more Helen in her than she wanted to admit. Her friends were back home, trying to find the creature that had murdered their close friend, and yet she'd been unable to turn down the temptation of stepping into the future and seeing it for herself.

Helen had once told her while they were traveling together through the anomalies that once one had a taste of them life couldn't truly satisfy...and while she'd scoffed at the time Chloe wondered if it wasn't true. Walking through that anomaly, feeling the energy of it flow through her as she crossed, feeling that oneness with the universe and all within it...it'd felt _right_.

What if she was _much_ more like her mother than she wanted to admit?

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"Stay there, Lucien." Nick stood before him, holding the crowbar, trying to protect the younger lad but there were three of those things and he knew they truly didn't stand a chance. "Stay back! Back!"

The creatures closed in for the kill.

Suddenly Stephen emerged from one of the water tanks, brandishing a shotgun.

Nick's eyes widened as he turned to Lucien. "Down!"

As soon as they'd hit the floor the bullets rang out, the large creatures falling victims to Stephen's deadly accuracy.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Connor crawled through the anomaly to the other side, his mind replaying the sight of Abby cornered by the larger, redder version of the creature they'd faced in the lake. He'd tried to race towards her but the thing had thrown him into the water, and by the time he'd managed to get back onto a crate Abby and the red one were gone. He hadn't thought twice, following them through to the other side, finding himself in a seaside on top of jagged rocks, desperate to find Abby and save her, bring her back home.

"Abby!" He yelled, unafraid for himself or the attention he might attract.

There was no answer but he didn't despair carrying on, keeping an eye out for the creatures that obviously lived on these seaside cliffs.

Suddenly Abby's scream echoed, and his eyes widened as he pressed on, hurrying towards the sound.

"ABBY!" He treaded carefully close to a ledge. "Abby!"

"_Connor_!" Her voice called from below.

He went to the edge, finding her below, corner by one of those things.

Looking around him quickly, Connor grabbed a large rock and dropped it on the creature's head, knocking it out cold. "Okay, Abby. Come here, grab my hand!" He laid down on his stomach and reached down as far as he could.

She looked up at him and nodded, boots trying to get purchase on the side of the cliff as she reached up towards him, fingertips almost touching.

"Come on." He encouraged. "Just climb up. You can do this."

Her fingers clawed into the rock as finally she was able to pull herself high enough for his hand to grab hers.

"That's it. I've got you." Connor groaned, trying to pull her up while keeping himself anchored onto the ledge with his other hand. "Grab hold of this."

Abby grabbed hold of a part of the cliff with her hand.

"That's it. You're nearly there, you're so nearly there."

"Connor, I'm slipping." She cried the words he refused to hear. "I can't hold on!" She screamed as as she lost footing and her other hand lost its purchase on the ledge, the only thing keeping her from falling to her death his grip on her.

Connor let go of his purchase on the ledge and grabbed her hand with both of his, trying to dig the toes of his boots into the rock, trying to stop his slow progression towards the edge of the ledge.

Beneath, the smaller, greener creatures, and the larger red one were attracted by the noise and began making their way towards them.

Connor gulped before turning to Abby, already half, hanging off of the ledge himself. "Okay. You need to come up now. Come on."

"I'm pulling you over, Connor." Abby shook her head. "Just leave me."

"No." He shook his head, fighting to grasp her wet, slippery hand. "I'm not letting you go. I've lost you once, Abby, I'm not losing you again, okay? Come on, we can do this."

He tried pulling her up but he just wasn't strong enough.

All the while the red creature continued making her way towards them, shoving everything else out of her way.

"There's no point in us both dying." Abby pleaded with him. "Just let me go. Let me go."

"I can't." He couldn't look away from her either.

"_Please_!" She sobbed.

"I love you." His voice cracked, eyes filling with tears.

Abby's eyes widened in shock as she gazed up at him.

"I'm not leaving you here." Connor swore, voice wavering with emotion, his grip on her beginning to slip, as so was his body. He was forced to let go of her with one hand to grab purchase with it on the ledge as he too began slipping over.

Abby's hand began slipping through his.

"No!" Connor groaned.

Her fingers...

"NO!" He prayed.

Suddenly someone threw themselves down on the ledge and grabbed Abby's other hand, lessening the weight and giving Connor the split second he needed to get a better grip on the pixie-ish blonde.

"Fancy meeting you two here." Chloe grunted as, like him, she had one hand gripped to the ledge for support. "Really, I cant go _anywhere_ without you two popping up and disagreeing with each other, can I?"

Connor could _kiss_ her right now, yet he refrained from doing so as slowly they pulled themselves and Abby back unto the ledge and out of the way of the creatures below.

Abby fell onto Connor and held onto him tightly, shivering.

Chloe breathed heavily, hand on her stomach as she laid on her back. "I suppose we should be going home now, before we get eaten and all."

"That _would_ be preferable." Abby whispered. "We wouldn't want to be stuck on the wrong side of the anomaly should it close."

"Are you okay?" Connor asked her.

She nodded, looking up at him in silence.

Suddenly gunshots rang out, piercing into the creature that'd managed to sneak up on them.

Connor looked up to see Stephen and Nick appear, carrying a shotgun and a pistol.

"Time to go, kids." Nick announced.

Connor was more than happy to comply.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"Has the anomaly closed?" Lester hadn't even given them time to breathe once they'd come back, the anomaly surrounded by armed guards waiting to shoot anything else that dared venture through it until it closed back up.

"No." Nick shook his head, Stephen at his side. "It's still there and it's likely to recur."

Lester took in a deep breath as he folded his arms over his chest. "You know what, Leek? I think this whole area could benefit form a Government Redevelopment Grant. We'll start by sealing the anomaly site with a few thousand tons of concrete. That should do the job."

Leek looked around him and nodded before turning back to Lester. "Shall I speak to the contractors?"

"No, don't worry." Lester shook his head. "I'll get myself a shovel and a cement mixer and do it myself." He sighed in exasperation. "Yes, of _course_ you should speak to the contractors, you idiot."

Leek cleared his throat.

Nick shook his head.

Lester sighed as he turned to _him_. "Next time I sack you, you might at least _pretend_ to stay sacked for more than five minutes."

Nick's lips twitched.

Lester shook his head. "Still, I suppose it's just as well you decided to disobey my orders. If it'd been left up to _Stephen_ we'd all still be looking in the wrong place," his gaze went accusingly to Stephen. "Wouldn't we?"

Stephen's face was blank.

Lester turned to Jenny. "Would you like to join us?"

She smiled and nodded, following him and Leek as they headed towards their limousine.

The silence was taunt between Nick and Stephen until Nick cleared his throat. "That's unfair."

"No." Stephen shook his head, gazing ahead of him. "No, I called it wrong."

Nick patted his back before walking away to go and check up on Abby and Connor. "I was lucky."

"Yeah." He heard Stephen mumbled emotionless behind him. "You were."

Abby hurriedly met Nick halfway, drawing his attention from Stephen's odd behavior. "So is that it, then? Is that what our future is going to look like?"

"No, not ours." He was sure of it. "The earth's. Humanity will be long gone by then. Or, perhaps, we do survive and we just evolve back into the water where we came from."

Her blue eyes widened. "What? You mean those things could be our _descendants_?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "It's possible."

"Wow." Abby blinked. "Didn't fancy yours much."

He laughed and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you're safe."

She hugged him back. "So am I."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

She sat upon one of the back crates, out of the way of the soldiers, and yet still close enough to feel the vibrations and throbs of the anomaly, to feel its _life_. It was oddly comforting in this time of chaos and confusion. For a moment, for a _split second_ she'd been tempted to just lose herself in that anomaly, in that future, and escape all the problems she had here...but then she'd realized just how proud Helen would be of her if she had.

Stephen sat down next to her, silent.

She kept her gaze on the anomaly.

"How did you make your way down here?" He asked. "Cutter told me how he and Connor got here, but how did you?"

"Stephen, we need to talk." She finally looked away from the anomaly and turned to face him. "I know this isn't the best time but we need to do it now."

He looked away, a muscle jumping in his jaw.

"I realized I was being a hypocrite." She took in a deep breath. "How can I expect you to fully confide in me if I don't do the same with you?"

His eyes narrowed as he finally looked at her.

"Stephen, I've met Ben, the Ben from this reality." She finally admitted, staring deep within his troubled gaze. "He was driving the truck that ran into us."

"No he wasn't." Stephen frowned.

"Yes, he was, he told me himself." Chloe argued. "It's why we met. He found me at the hospital."

"Chloe, you don't get it. Ben was _not_ the one driving the vehicle that ran into us." Stephen's disturbed expression grew.

"How would you know? You've never seen him before, you don't know what he looks like." She rolled her eyes at him. "Stephen, I'm telling you, he told me himself. And he felt so guilty he stayed until after I finished seeing the doctor and drove me home since I was high on pain meds. He then came by the next day to make sure that I was fine. That's all. I swear. I haven't even seen him since then."

There was a moment's pause where Stephen looked like he wanted to say something before swallowing it and clearing his throat, blue orbs meeting her own green. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was scared doing so would change things between us." She admitted, licking her lips. "You have every right to be uneasy when it comes to him, I've made things like that, but Stephen, I want you to know that you can trust me." She turned so that she was sitting facing him. "When I decided to give us a chance, when I gave myself the chance to see all the reasons why I fell in love with you in this timeline, I didn't do it with a clause that stated that Ben's appearance would change anything."

"You love him." Stephen replied, voice uneasy, expression closed off.

"Yes and no." She replied truthfully, knowing he deserved to hear the truth. "I loved my Ben, not this one. I don't know this one and he doesn't know me. We don't have that connection, those memories, that I had with my Ben." She took in a deep breath, knowing this would be hard for Stephen to hear but he needed to if he was to understand what she felt. "I _really_ want to give us a chance, I-I _really_ care about you." She lowered her gaze to her lap.

There was silence.

She quickly hurried on. "I know that this is all so unfair to you, but-."

Stephen reached for her and cupped the back of her head, bringing her lips to meet his in a torrid kiss.

Eyes fluttering closed, Chloe melted into him.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"You realize you might have compromised this whole project?" Leek glared at the Cleaner through the video conference.

"It was a mistake." He declared. "Cutter weren't meant to be there. Won't happen again."

"Well I hope not." Leek declared from the privacy of his car. "Because the consequences for you could be _very_ bad." He let that sink in for a second before continuing. "Now, please try and stay out of sight in the future. It would make life easier for everyone."

The Cleaner nodded and ended the video conference.

Leek took in a deep breath. "Hopefully Cutter won't remember him."

Helen Cutter leaned forwards from the backseat. "Nick has an excellent memory for faces, and I hope this isn't going to go wrong, Oliver." Her voice was low and threatening. "I'd hate to think I put my faith in the wrong man. Now that I see people very rarely, its hard to know if my judgement is as good as it used to be." She paused before continuing. "I hope you can deliver what you promised."

"I can." He hurried to assure. "Remember, I have a lot riding on this as well."

She reached out and played with his necktie. "Then I'm sure everything is going to be just fine."

He nodded and gulped. "Chloe quit the ARC today."

She paused, tightening her hold on his tie. "Did she?"

He nodded quickly. "L-Lester fired Cutter and she took up for him, quit on the spot. He rehired Cutter after the end of the day, but I don't think he's addressed the issue of her job still being available." Despite his fear, he couldn't help but smile. "She called him stupid and pompous to his face."

A soft chuckle escaped Helen's lips. "She gets the mouth from me."

He didn't know whether it was safe to comment to on that or not, so he remained silent.

"Lester will give her her job back, he's not fool enough to let the only person with a personal connection with the anomalies get away just like that." Helen pulled away and the sound of the door opening and closing betrayed her departure.

Leek closed his eyes tightly, taking in a shuddering breath, absolutely terrified.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

**Review?**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Don't own Primeval/Smallville

Sequel to: Primeval - Season one

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"You shouldn't push your luck like this," Stephen declared as he dressed for his morning jog. "You're not fired."

"No, I quit, remember?" Chloe grinned as she brushed her hair, wearing a form-fitting red dress and matching strappy high heels. "There's quite a difference there you know."

"Yes but..." Stephen turned towards her and finally got a good look at her. "Oh, wow."

She smiled at her reflection before turning towards him, flicking a blonde strand behind her shoulder. "I like that reaction."

"And you're this dressed up because...?" He eyed her curiously, appreciatively, as he encircled her waist, drawing her close.

"Jenny's engagement party? The one we were invited to? The same one you said you wouldn't ever go to because you didn't rub elbows with the rich and snobby? Remember that?" The blonde smiled, lined eyes twinkling with amusement as she linked her arms around his neck. "Ring any bells?"

"Maybe." He admitted, leaning down to kiss her, his grip lowering to cup her ass.

Chloe laughed and raised a hand, stopping his lips before they could touch hers. "No time for that, Casanova."

"It was just a _kiss_." He declared innocently as she escaped his hold.

"It's _never_ just a kiss with you." She replied knowingly, grabbing dainty red bag.

"And why exactly did you get an invitation to Posh Spice's engagement party when the rest of the team didn't?" Stephen wanted to know, folding his arms over his chest as he admired his girlfriend.

"Because, Jenny's fiance has been asking about her colleagues and she said she wanted to invite someone who wasn't confusing or odd." Chloe replied with a smirk. "Plus, according to her her future mother in law's a right monster whom I happened to charm once when she called asking to speak to Jenny, and the woman apparently has been asking Jenny when she's going to meet me in person."

"My girlfriend, the beast charmer." Stephen chuckled.

"I tamed _you_ didn't I?" She teased, going over to where Baby was sleeping on her bed, rubbing her forehead.

"I don't know about _tamed_." Stephen shook his head, grabbing his keys and placing them into the pocket of his sweats as together they made their way towards the front door of the flat.

"Oh, I'd say tamed." She replied as they exited the flat, Stephen locking it behind him as they took the steps down to where a taxi was already waiting for her. "If you change your mind, I left the address in the kitchen."

"Have a good time with Mama Posh." He chuckled, bringing her in the for the kiss she'd playfully denied him in their flat. "Try not to tease too many fat, rich old men?"

"Only fit, rich men, gotcha." She winked, flashing him a wicked smile before pulling away and getting into the taxi. "If you get jealous enough, remember where the address is!" And with that the cab took her away.

Watching her until the cab turned the corner and went out of sight, Stephen plopped in the earphones of his ipod, switched the music to his favorite song, and began stretching.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Ever since that situation with Abby in the future and the 'three words' things had been somewhat awkward and Connor had taken to spending his free time at the ARC, even saturday mornings such as today. He skated around on his skateboard, circling his large Anomaly Detector, and when it suddenly went off, beeping loudly, lights flashing red, he almost tripped in his surprise and fell off.

"Cutter!" He raced to the keyboard, gazing at the different screens as his program tried triangulating the location of the newly opened anomaly. "Cutter?" His eyes narrowed, realizing the difficulty the Detector was having with the triangulation. "Come on, show me where you are."

Cutter hurried towards him from where he'd been in his office, someplace the blonde had been in quite a lot lately, especially since Chloe had failed to return to the team.

Suddenly the screens began to glitch, the images wavering, static interference making everything impossible to distinguish. "No. No, no, what?"

All the screens went to black the second Cutter arrived.

"What's happened?" Their team leader frowned.

"I'm not sure, it's just crashed." Connor looked from one screen to the other, utterly confused.

"That ever happened before?"

"No." Connor turned to the blonde. "Maybe it was some sort of power surge because of the anomaly...or it could be a false alarm."

But he doubted it.

Apparently, so did Cutter. "But there could be an active anomaly out there right now?"

"I'll reboot it." Connor was already on in, typing in commands and keying in passcodes, the screens flickering to life, showing everything normally. "That's really strange. Everything seems to be fine now."

"Run a full diagnostic."

"Okay." Connor nodded, typing in rapidly, beginning programs, scanning the system, before freezing when the results shot back at him. "It's completely contaminated."

Cutter didn't seem surprised, his eyes narrowing slightly on the screens. "Spyware?"

"Yep." Connor nodded. "Allowing the user to switch the feed from here to wherever they are."

"And cut us out of the loop." Cutter finished in a soft voice.

Connor turned towards him. "It must be that guy, the Cleaner. What do we do?"

Cutter turned to face him, voice low. "First of all, find the anomaly, then clean up the Detector. Don't say a word to anybody."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"Stop the cab." Chloe ordered as the jolt flared through her, vibrating and pulsing with a life that was both completely alien and yet familiar to her. For a moment she'd thought that maybe she was imagining it, but no, it was there causing her heart to skip a beat. She'd known it was a long shot, that she _couldn't_-and yet the incident in the warehouse had left her suspicious. Had it been the siren-call or-or-? It was why she hadn't gone back to the ARC as yet, had been trying to test a theory, and now as she felt it alive she knew that she wasn't completely insane or self-centered, high-minded, whatever! What mattered was that there was a very distinct possibility that-.

"This is not-."

"STOP THE CAB!" Chloe snapped.

The cab came to a violent stop.

"_Thank you_." Dishing out the bills the meter declared she owed, Chloe passed them to the driver and exited the cab, her impossibly high heels tapped against the ground as she hurried onto the sidewalk and looked around her, trying to feel where the anomaly's heartthrobs were coming from. She could only ever feel it like this when she was very close to one, and she was surprised that no one else was here yet.

Holding her hand out, she felt for the strongest vibrations before starting out into the dark alley, her heels clipclopping against the pavement as she righted the dainty strap of her bag, feeling ridiculous for going investigating an anomaly on her own and dressed like this, but the second she'd felt the heat sear her she hadn't been able to keep herself from yelling at the cab driver and getting out.

Maybe her mother was right.

Maybe once you went through a couple of them, anomalies became an addiction.

But it could be more than just that.

Maybe-.

"Spratt!" A young girl yelled into a large pipe. "Come back! We're not supposed to be here!"

As Chloe got closer she could see the light from inside the large pipe, and upon closer inspection could see the anomaly within, throbbing and pulsating light and life, beckoning. "Are you okay?" She forced herself to look away from the anomaly towards the girl, who couldn't be older than eleven. "Is someone in there?"

"My dog, Spratt." The girl declared, taking a step towards the pipe. "I need to go and get her."

"No!" Chloe shook her head. "You can't do that. It's dangerous. You can't be here."

"Spratt went in there, I can't just leave her there!" The girl exclaimed. "And what is that _anyway_?"

Oh, where was Jenny when you needed her?

Barking could be heard from the other side of the anomaly.

"Spratt!" The girl made a dash for the anomaly.

Chloe caught her and managed to somehow restrain the spitfire. "It's too dangerous!"

"Then she needs me!" The girl struggled. "She's all I have left!"

That sob tore at Chloe as she bent to look the girl in the face.

This was a bad idea.

"I'm going to go in after her, okay?" Chloe gazed into the child's worried eyes. "Spratt you said her name was, right?"

"Yes." The girl nodded.

The best thing would be to wait until Cutter and the others arrived, or to phone them in right away, but Chloe knew this girl would sneak in the second she had the chance, and the fact that she'd left her cell at the flat per Jenny's orders (her future mother in law thought them vile, uncouth things apparently)...well...Chloe didn't have much of a choice.

Or maybe, just maybe, she wanted to go through that anomaly.

Spratt gave a distressed sound.

"SPRATT!" The girl pulled loose and raced into the anomaly, disappearing on the other side.

"Dammit!" Chloe hissed, turning and taking off her heels, holding them in her hand as she hurried into the pipe after the girl, the anomaly warm and welcoming as she crossed through it onto the other side, finding herself standing next to the girl in the middle of a desert at night.

"Cool." The girl whispered.

Chloe reached her side, eyeing around her. "I agree."

The girl grinned at her.

Spratt barked in the distance, down below the sand dune they were currently on.

"Spratt!" The girl hurried down the dune. "Spratt!"

"Will you _stop_ dashing off like that?" Chloe groaned as she hurried after the girl.

Suddenly the sand around Spratt began to move, it was hardly noticeable at first with the darkness, but as Chloe's eyes grew more accustomed to the darkness she could make out the large amount of activity beneath the sand as creatures chased the dog.

"Spratt! Hurry!" The girl screamed. "Run to me! Come girl!"

Feeling the sand beginning to shift behind them, Chloe's eyes widened as the sand visibly moved as something large headed their way. "Run."

"What?" The girl turned to her.

Chloe looked around her before spying something. "To the rocks! Run! Now!"

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

The sound of high heels heading their way caused Nick and Connor to look up from where they'd been sitting in front of the Anomaly Detector, and Nick was hard pressed to admit that for a moment his mouth went dry as Jenny appeared. She was dressed in a form-fitting, short white dress with golden heels and a large hat. Nick wasn't one who knew much about hats, but as far as they went he had to admit this one was odd...yet somewhat attractive.

"This better not be another false alarm." Jenny declared as she sauntered towards them.

"Why, were you busy?" Nick couldn't help but ask.

She raised an eyebrow as she stood before them, hip jutted out slightly in a provocative stance. "Engagement party."

"Very nice." Connor blinked at her. "Anybody we know?"

"Mine, actually." She replied, taking in a deep breath. "Not my idea. Future mother-in-law. It's all rather dreary."

"So you'd rather be with us?" Nick raised an eyebrow right back at her.

"Well, I was gonna say any excuse." She replied, lips pulled in a smirk. "So yes, even you."

There was a moment of silence as they smiled at each other.

Nick cleared his throat before his gaze went to the screens. "We have an active site."

"I'll go get changed." Jenny nodded.

"No, there's no time. The anomaly's been open for two hours, maybe longer." Nick shook his head.

Jenny looked down at her own ensemble before returning her gaze to him. "Right, well, if I break a heel, you're gonna pay."

With that she sauntered away, pulling off her hat and shaking her hair loose, hips swaying temptingly.

Nick and Connor both turned in their chairs to watch her go.

"She looks amazing." Connor whispered.

"Hmm." Nick nodded, swirling back to the screens. "So does a velociraptor."

Engaged, he reminded himself.

_Engaged_.

ENGAGED.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"What are those things?" The girl whispered as they sat on the rocks, gazing at the sand, the air chilly in the night of the desert.

"I have no idea." Chloe answered truthfully, frowning.

Their path to the anomaly had been blocked by whatever those things had been, and now they'd ended up a good distance from the anomaly. She couldn't even see it anymore. They'd just had to race through the sands, each movement bringing the attention of more and more of those sand things. It was probably only Spratt's racing around here and there that'd disoriented the creatures and given Chloe and the girl enough time to make it to the rocks, and once they'd reached there the things hadn't been able to find them.

Obviously they hunted by the vibrations on the sand, and while this knowledge was handy to have it was also discouraging considering that in the race to the rocks they'd put _much_ distance between them and the anomaly.

How exactly were they going to get back?

"Spratt..." the girl whispered, hugging herself.

"She could have gotten out." Chloe declared. "That was one fast dog."

"You think?" She whispered.

Chloe nodded. "Yep."

"It's cold." The girl sighed. "And my ankle's hurting."

"You sprained it when you fell." Chloe hugged herself, rubbing her bare arms. "We'll be fine though, don't worry."

"We'll die here." The girl bemoaned. "We'll either starve or those things will eat us."

"It wont come to that, but we might get a wicked sunburn if we're not out of here before the sun comes up." Chloe looked up at the moon. "Days in the desert aren't pleasant."

"I knew it." She mumbled. "Just my luck."

Chloe sent the girl a look. "I'm Chloe by the way, what's your name?"

"Taylor Craig." She replied. "I've always been told not to talk to strangers but we're going to die anyway so I don't see the whole point."

Chloe snorted in wry amusement. "You're a little ray of sunshine, aren't you?"

"I'm a _realist_." The kid declared.

Chloe laughed. "Well, Miss Taylor, my friends are going to come and save us."

"Sure they are." Taylor mumbled.

"They deal with things like this everyday." Chloe replied.

Taylor opened her mouth to retort when she frowned, narrowing her eyes. "Is that them?"

Chloe narrowed her eyes and for a second couldn't see anything...before she finally made out dark figures in the moonlight, dressed like soldiers or special ops.

"Hey!" Taylor got to her feet. "Over here!"

The small group paused for a moment, obviously looking in the direction, before moving on in a different direction.

"GET OFF OF THE SAND! TRYING TO SAVE YOU! IDIOTS!" Taylor screamed, waving her hands violently before turning to Chloe. "Tell your friends to get off of the sand!"

"They're not my friends." Chloe stood slowly, suspicion to the identity of the group growing...or at least to the leader of the group.

The Cleaner.

Suddenly gunshots and screams filled the night.

"_Oh no_." Taylor whispered, horrified as the creatures attacked the unsuspecting men. "_No._"

Chloe pulled the girl to her, Taylor hiding her face in Chloe's stomach and holding onto the woman tightly as screams echoed around them. The blonde covered the child's ears as best as she could to drown out the sounds, yet was unable to look away as the creatures in the sand massacred the Cleaner's men.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Returning to the flat from his jog, Stephen locked the door and tore off his earphones to be greeted by the sound of the shower running. He smiled, wondering what had happened to bring Chloe back so quickly, yet when he opened the bathroom door his smile faded when he wasn't greeted by a view of his girlfriend but of her mother.

"You don't mind, do you?" Helen asked, comfortable and naked as she showered, steam rising up all around her. "I've got slime from the Devonian. The smell would make your eyes water."

"And this was the only shower you could find within a million years?" He glared.

She chuckled, turning to face him. "Stop staring and pass me a towel."

He didn't budge. "What are you doing here?"

Helen rolled her eyes and turned off the shower, stepping out and grabbing the towel for herself, wrapping it around her body. "You and I both know things can't go on like this. The anomalies are getting worse." She raised an eyebrow. "How long do you think the government's gonna be able to keep on covering them up? How long is Nick going to continue playing their game?"

"Forget it, Helen, I'm not interested." Stephen shook his head, walking out of the bathroom.

She followed him. "Never mind how you feel about me. You know this is wrong."

"You..." He laughed, an ugly sound, turning to face her. "You've got to go."

"You know what's really sad?" She raised her chin. "You're being betrayed and you don't even know it. They're not even being honest with you."

"Do _not_ try to turn me against Chloe!" He snapped, raising his hand and only barely managing to keep from hitting her. "No matter _what_ your viper's tongue says I will _not_ be made to doubt her! She told me about goddamned Ben, alright? She told me without me asking. So-."

"I'm very happy to know how devoted you are to her, Chloe deserves a good man...but I wasn't referring to her." Helen declared. "I'd never try to turn you against _my _daughter."

Stephen's eyes narrowed. "What're you talking about then?"

"He hasn't told you, has he?" She shook her head. "That's Nick for you, never was much good at trusting people."

He was quickly losing his patience. "Helen, tell me what this is about."

"I don't know much, I just know that they have another agenda that you don't know about." She replied.

"Who does?" He came closer, eyes narrowed. "You mean Lester?"

"I don't know who's behind it." She shrugged. "But if the shoe fits..."

Stephen looked away

Great.

Just great.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

They'd found the anomaly in a drainage pipe. They'd contacted the builders and closed down the site, Jenny throwing all sorts of building code violations at them. A sound, distorted, had echoed through the anomaly and at first they'd thought it was a creature from whatever time this anomaly led to, but a small dog hurried through. In a sense it was a relief yet in another a complete other mess as the dog (whose tag read SPRATT) might have an owner still stuck on the other side.

Connor, Stephen and Abby had arrived a little later with the equipment while Jenny grudgingly held the dog, complaining loudly since it was messing up her lovely new dress. No one minded or paid much attention to her grief as Connor was testing out a new field camera on wheels which truly wasn't much to look at but would no doubt prove itself useful as they could send it on ahead into the anomalies they encountered to see what was on the other side and what sort of creatures were around, or to gauge the quality if air and so forth.

"Why exactly didn't Chloe come with you by the way?" Stephen asked Jenny.

"She hadn't made it to the party by the time I got called out." Jenny replied. "And even if she had, she refuses to come to work just to spite Lester, you know that."

"I doubt she'd pass up an anomaly." Stephen replied.

Nick looked up, frowning. "She was going to the engagement party?"

"Oi," Connor looked up from the video feed of the portable camera, which had yet to make it through the anomaly. "Why didn't we all get invitations?"

Jenny looked miserable, holding the dirty dog, who seemed to be having a wonderful time licking her face.

"Connor, its gone through." Abby declared, causing everyone to turn their attention to the laptop computer, where the video feed was coming through to them of what was on the other side.

The other side was a desert, the sun blaring bright in the sky, sand as far as the eyes could see.

"High CO2, low oxygen." Connor read the feedback.

"It's pre-Carboniferous." Nick decided. "Maybe Ordovician or Silurian." His eyes narrowed on the image of sand everywhere as it continued moving forwards. "There's no dinosaurs, no mammals, no birds."

There were a formation of rocks in the distance, and something bright red on them.

"Hold on a minute." Abby frowned. "What's that?"

Connor activated the zoom on the camera, eyes widening. "I don't believe it."

"Is that..._Chloe_?" Jenny asked, momentarily ignoring the way the dog chewed on her necklace. "And a little girl."

"_What?"_ Stephen leaned in closer, eyes widening.

"I think we've found the owner of Jenny's new best friend." Nick declared. "But what is Chloe doing there? And why hasn't she brought the girl back out?"

"Maybe she's injured." Abby frowned.

"There's nothing really in the Silurian to injure her." Connor countered. "You know, we're talking a few basic plants and bugs."

"How big are the bugs?" Stephen asked.

"Bug-size, I think." Connor shrugged. "As periods go it's a pretty safe one to get lost in."

"She must be terrified." Jenny whispered, clutching Sprat closer.

They zoomed in closer to see the girl and Chloe in animated talk, hands moving rapidly.

"Doesn't seem terrified." Connor snorted. "Looks like they're having a pretty good time to me."

"The only reason Chloe wouldn't have brought her out is if something is wrong." Nick frowned, standing straight. "We need to go in and get them out."

Stephen nodded, tightening his hold on his gun. "Let's do it."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"My head hurts." Taylor complained, leaning her head against Chloe's shoulder.

"I know, mine too." Chloe took in a deep breath. "It's like being at altitude, there's no oxygen."

"No oxygen?" Taylor squeaked.

"Well, obviously there's oxygen, we're breathing aren't we?" The blonde amended quickly. "That's why I said _like_."

"Right." Taylor nodded. "You were right, you know, I'm going to have a _terrible_ sunburn."

"Yeah, me too." Chloe sighed. "I'm going to look like a lobster soon."

"Yeah, you will." Taylor agreed. "I've never seen someone sunburn quite so _red_ before. That takes talent in my books."

Chloe laughed, shaking her head, before suddenly noticing movement in the distance. "_Oh no_." Even in the distance she could recognize those two lone male figures. "Nick! Stephen!" She struggled to her feet, waving her arms in the air. "The rocks! Get to the rocks!"

They stopped, and waved back.

"No! You idiots!" She yelled. "GET TO THE ROCKS!"

"Hurry up!" Taylor joined her, desperately motioning for them to come. "Your friends are idiots! RUN!"

Suddenly the sand began to shift around the two men, two crab-like claws sticking out of the sand.

"_No_." Chloe's heart raced in her throat. "_RUN!_"

Cutter and Stephen took off running as fast as they could, the sand moving at their heels.

"Come on!" Taylor screamed.

The men made it onto the rocks just as claws reached out and snapped at them angrily, unable to reach them. It snapped futilely before disappearing under the sand once more.

Taylor gazed at them. "Fine help _you_ are."

Chloe hugged them both before pulling away. "You idiots! Did you really think I was _waving_ at you?"

The men shared a look.

Her gaze lowered to the dufflebag Nick was carrying. "No one survived, did they?"

"Did you see the people who were carrying these?" Stephen frowned. "Their weapons weren't army-issued, they were classic mercenary's guns."

Nick nodded. "They had goggles with hard drive, night-vision, recording abilities. It was serious stuff."

Chloe nodded. "He's here."

"Are you sure about it?" Nick frowned.

She nodded. "If not him then who?"

Stephen's eyes narrowed on them. "Him?"

"There were no footprints leading away," Nick turned to look at the seemingly endless sand. "They left their water and just disappeared."

"They didn't disappear," Chloe hugged herself. "They were massacred."

"You're not surprised by any of this." Stephen frowned at them. "What do you know?"

"I really don't know anything." Chloe admitted, gazing around her. "I think that's the problem. No one knows anything."

"You obviously know more than I do." He pressed, slightly accusing.

She turned to look at him. "Stephen, I only found out the very little I know the other day, and to be truthful I was more worried and preoccupied with our relationship than anything else. I'm sorry if that seemed more important to me at the time."

He was still frowning, but much of the ire behind the gesture was now gone. "There's a traitor on the team, isn't there?

"Maybe." Cutter admitted.

"It's Lester." Stephen seemed so sure.

"It's _someone_." Cutter replied.

Stephen shook his head, frustration growing in his every feature. "Come on, they're playing us! They have been since the beginning."

"I don't know that and neither do you." Nick announced.

"Fine, you admitted you don't know." Stephen countered. "But rather than sharing that with us you shut us out. We're meant to be a _team_."

Nick patted his arm. "You sound like Helen."

Stephen flinched.

"Look, this isn't important right now." Chloe frowned at the both of them, placing a hand on Taylor's shoulder. "We're trapped with creatures who sense vibrations from the sands between us and the anomaly."

Stephen reached into his bag and pulled out two cases of water, handing them to the thirsty girls as he gazed around him. "Well, we're gonna have to go the long way around. If we stick to the rocks we can get close enough to the anomaly."

"We'll have to take it easy, slow." Chloe replied, protective. "Taylor's twisted her ankle somewhat badly, and she can't run if we should need to. It's one of the reasons we're still here."

"I twisted it as I made it to the rocks, but those things ate my dog." Taylor mumbled.

"No, no, no, your dog's alive." Cutter shook his head. "She's on the other side."

"See?" Chloe smiled down at the girl. "Told you she was fast."

"Cool." Taylor grinned, before it melted into a frown. "She left me behind then. That's cold."

"I'm gonna have to carry you." Stephen commented.

"No way!" She scoffed at him in horror. "I ain't _baggage_. No one has to carry me."

Cutter and Stephen shared an amused look.

"She ain't baggage." Nick informed him.

"Taylor ain't baggage." Stephen nodded, informed.

Chloe rolled her eyes at them and turned to Taylor, squeezing her shoulder. "Can you give me some help on these rocks? I'll probably just end up slipping and falling."

"You probably will." Taylor gazed up at her and nodded, grabbing her hand. "We should probably stick together anyway, I know you said your friends would come to help, but they don't seem too bright, I mean, they thought we were _waving_."

Chloe chuckled, sending the men a darkly amused look as she helped Taylor slowly down the formation of rocks.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Sitting in a coffee shop, Helen sipped on a cappuccino as she watched this Ben Becker character having a coffee and going over some things on his computer. She had to admit that Stephen was her first choice for Chloe, due to the fact that she knew exactly how to manipulate Stephen and through him her daughter and Nick, but there was something about this Ben that she _really_ liked. Maybe it was the fact that he'd faced down a Future Predator without a gun to save her daughter. Helen had to admire that.

Also, he was _very_ good looking.

Her daughter _definitely_ had great taste.

Helen bit down on her bottom lip.

Well, if Chloe was decided to take Helen's boy toy it really wasn't a big deal if Helen took hers, right?

With a evil little grin, Helen got up and made her way towards his table.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Nick, who was walking ahead of them, at the crest of the sand dune before the anomaly, called back, eyes wide. "Stephen! It's weakening!"

Chloe and Stephen's gazes met at those words as Stephen suddenly picked up Taylor, who screamed and struggled, both hurrying towards the crest by Nick and stopping where he had. There below in the far distance they could see the anomaly throbbing, weakening, and between them and their destiny those sand scorpions were visibly making multiple differently slopes beneath the sand. They were extremely active, probably because they could sense the vibrations of the anomaly, and the harsh reality set upon the humans.

They weren't going to make it to the anomaly before it closed.

Stephen let down Taylor, who would have probably kicked him or something had it not been for the fact that she could sense their horror.

They could do nothing but watch as the anomaly throbbed its last, before disappearing, leaving them in a harsh terrain, far from home.

"What happened?" Taylor finally asked softly. "When are we going back?"

Stephen sighed as he lowered his head.

Cutter sat down on the rocks.

Chloe placed her hand around Taylor's shoulders, drawing her near, and the girl went with it, arms going around the blonde's waist as they all gazed in the distance where the anomaly, and their way back, had once been.

"We can't stay here." Nick finally sighed, standing back up. "We need to keep walking, back track and follow the rocks. There has to be another way out of here."

"I doubt there's another anomaly just waiting to take us back home." Stephen declared.

Chloe squeezed Taylor's shoulders. "Anywhere it can take us will be better than here. As long as it's a place with water it's better."

"She has a point." Nick nodded. "We only have the minimal amount of water, if we don't find more soon..."

Taylor took in a deep breath. "I wish this was all just a nightmare."

"Don't worry, we'll get you back home, eventually." Chloe tried for light humor as they backtracked, always keeping to the rocks.

She spent the next half-hour recounting various times in her past, especially her teenaged years in Smallville, where things had seemed dire and yet she'd managed to make it out alive. Nick nor Stephen had ever heard these stories before and so they were silent as Nick led the group and Stephen followed behind making sure they were safe.

"Ate his mother?" Taylor made a face in disgust. "How sick is that?"

"Well, the meteorites usually induce a lunacy in those they infect, although there are few who are strong enough to keep sane." Chloe sighed. "He's actually getting treatment now, and has been doing very well."

"My mother died two months ago." Taylor surprised her by saying. "I live with Steve, her husband, but I think he's tired of me. He's not my father. He probably resents having to take care of some other man's brat."

"Honey, I'm going to let you in on a little secret." Chloe stopped and bent on her knees in front of the girl. "Men take much longer than women to heal, they're like babies."

"I take offense to that." Nick snorted.

She waved him off. "That's my father, by the way."

Taylor looked between them, eyes wide. "Really?"

Chloe nodded. "I wasn't raised by him though, a lot of confusing and painful things we couldn't control happened, and I was raised by two other people, two people who weren't related to me by blood, but who loved me just as much. And when the woman I loved as my mother abandoned us, the man who raised me went through a very rough patch. I knew he loved me, but men have their own way of dealing with things. He would sit on his sofa, drinking beer, watching TV, and he could be miserable."

Taylor gazed at her seriously.

"But that man _loved_ me." Chloe's voice choked for a second, unable to believe that Gabe wasn't alive in this timeline. "And once he was able to grieve he was _wonderful_ once more."

Taylor gazed down at her hands before nodding. "I used to think Steve loved me, before ma died. Maybe...maybe he's just grieving too."

"I'm sure he is." Chloe smiled, wiping at one of her tears. "And I'm sure he's worried _sick_ about you right now."

"You think so?" Taylor whispered.

Chloe nodded.

Taylor smiled before helping Chloe back up. "Well, I _am_ somewhat awesome."

Nick and Stephen sent each other amused glances over Chloe's and Taylor's heads.

They continued walking, keeping to the rocks and eyeing the sand warily, but after some time everyone was beginning to get tired.

Taylor rested against Chloe more and more. "There isn't a way out of here, is there?"

Nick turned to face her from where he'd been in front. "Sure there is."

"You're lying." She accused, sitting down on a boulder, sniffling. "We're gonna die in this stupid place."

Cutter sighed as he sat down next to her. "You're right. We're not in great shape right now, but I can promise you one thing. We're not gonna die."

"There are clouds, due east." Stephen announced. "It could mean a body of water, vegetation. Food and shelter. We should head that way."

Nick smiled and nudged the girl with his arm. "We stay on the rocks as far as we can, all right?"

She sighed and stood when he did, before turning to Stephen with narrowed eyes. "If you try to pick me up again, I'll bite you." She turned and stormed after Nick.

Chloe bit down on her bottom lip to keep from laughing.

Stephen sent an amused look in Chloe's direction before they continued after them.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Helen Cutter was losing her touch.

It horrified her.

She'd used all her feminine wiles that _always_ got her what and how she wanted, and yet every single one of them had fallen flat. This "Becker" guy, as he'd so curtly introduced himself when she'd slid into the chair across from his, had been cold and uninterested and had brushed her off quite abruptly. No amount of flirtation on her part had swayed his attitude in the least bit. It was confounding. It was humiliating. It was _infuriating_!

She was a beautiful, sensual woman!

If it wasn't for his ties to Chloe she would have suspected him gay...and that might have soothed her ego a bit but he wouldn't have been the first gay guy that she'd turned back...

So all in all this was infuriating and she was vastly annoyed.

She stormed out of the coffee shop and as far away from that annoying twit as she could.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"Would you rather die of thirst or be eaten?" Taylor wanted to know as they descended a rock formation down the side of one of the many ups and downs of this barren terrain. "Think I'd rather be eaten. Then at least it's quick, two bites, done." She gazed up at Nick as he continued soldiering on ahead. "You're like four or five bites, so it'll be worse for you."

"Can you not _try_ and be positive for five minutes?" He bewailed from in front. "You know, hopeful."

"We're probably the best food around." She continued as if he hadn't spoken. "Imagine you're a giant sand thing living on nothing but millipede, then you get to taste _people_ for the first time."

Stephen chuckled behind Chloe, obviously enjoying Nick's suffering.

"All gooey and warm, we'd be like a delicacy." Taylor continued on with her morbid line of thought. "So who do you think they'll eat first?"

"Why don't you sing a song or whistle or something? Anything." Nick practically begged. "Just stop talking."

"Whoa, whoa!" Stephen said from behind them, stopping.

They stopped and turned to look back at him.

"What is it?" Chloe asked.

"Did you see that?" He asked, looking at a rock formation in the distance.

"What?" Nick frowned, turning to look in that direction, seeing nothing.

Stephen continued looking before shaking his head. "Nothing. Forget it."

They continued on their descent under the blaring sun, trying to ration out the water they had due to the uncertainty of when they'd find anymore. The conversation had died down to nothing due to their tiredness, and Chloe felt like they were on autopilot more than anything else.

Suddenly, the handheld Anomaly Detector Nick carried began to beep.

"Oh, thank god." He whispered.

Stephen hurried to his side, gazing at it. "Oh, yes!"

"What is it?" Taylor frowned, confused.

Chloe smiled as she placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Means we're getting out of here after all."

"Which way?" Stephen asked.

Taylor frowned. "I can hear a train."

Stephen frowned. "There are no trains in the Silurian."

Nick's gaze went behind them. "It's not a train."

They turned as one to see a large, violent sandstorm heading their way.

"Come on, Taylor." Stephen reached for her. "Run!"

They hurriedly raced towards the crevices in the rocks, crawling into them to hide from the sandstorm as it descended on them with a fury. In her lone crevice, Chloe brought the material of her shirt in front of her mouth and nose to try and keep the sand from suffocating her. She crawled as deep within the crevice as possible, turning to give her back to the storm and lay in a fetal position, trying to calm herself.

Memories of being trapped in the coffin were taunting her, playing with her mind and trying to induce a panic attack. She felt feverish, her body beginning to shake with her fear as the dark crevice seemed to be slightly brighter.

She fought the terror by humming to herself, and while at first she honestly didn't realize what she was humming halfway through the sandstorm she did. It was Bitter Sweet Symphony by the Verve, one of the songs Ben would sing to her as they lay in bed, his voice low and husky with sleep.

"Chloe?" Stephen's voice broke into her whispered song, alerting her to the end of the sandstorm. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah." She turned around and accepted the hand he offered, climbing out of the crevice and coughing as she gazed around her. "Is everyone okay?"

Taylor nodded.

"I dropped the damn detector." Nick announced.

"So _this_ is where hope gets you." Taylor smartmouthed.

Nick sent her a look before backtracking, trying to find the detector, Chloe, Taylor and Stephen following behind as finally they could hear the sound of the detector beeping.

They found it at the end of where the rocks met the sand.

"Remind me to tell Connor he did a good job with these." Cutter declared upon inspecting the detector and finding that it was still in perfect shape.

"Which way?" Stephen asked, gazing at the detector.

Suddenly a gun cocked behind them.

There, walking gently on the sand heading towards them, was the Cleaner, his gun trained on them. "I'll take that."

Stephen pushed Chloe and Taylor behind him protectively.

"I thought it might be you." Nick frowned, standing tall.

Stephen turned to look at him with a frown.

"There's only one ticket out of here and I'm taking it." The Cleaner declared.

Cutter threw the detector so that it landed hard by the Cleaner's feet.

He leaned down to pick it up. "And the water."

Nick went into the bag, pulling out a canteen.

"No, no, all of it." The Cleaner shook his head, gun trained on them.

Nick through his the bag with the containers, the heavy thing landing loudly by his feet once more in the sand.

Chloe's eyes widened as she realized what her father was doing.

She pushed away from Stephen's protection and stepped down onto the sand. "Without water we're gonna be dead in a couple of hours."

"Tough break." The Cleaner declared, backing up.

Chloe stepped closer.

"Chloe get back." Stephen ordered.

She ignored him. "Take us with you."

The Cleaner shook his head, continuing to step back.

"At least take the girl, she's done nothing wrong and no one will believe her if she says any of this happened." She stepped forwards.

The Cleaned shot around her, at the sand.

She stood still as the bullets caused the sand to explode around her, her heart racing in her throat in fear.

"_Chloe_..." Nick hissed from behind her. "Enough."

"You follow me, I shoot you." The Cleaner warned her.

She needed to stall, to give more time, and so even though she was terrified she bluffed assurance. "I don't think you will."

"Chloe _enough_!" Stephen made to go towards her but the Cleaner pointed his gun at him and stopped him.

"You were there with us in the mall, according to Connor you were in the ARC, and according to my father you were at the canal the other day as well. You were discovered each and every time, yet you didn't do anything other than to knock my father unconscious." She took another step towards him. "I think you've been ordered not to kill us because we're important to this project."

He fired around her once more, stopping her progress. "I'm warning you."

Behind the Cleaner the sand-trail of a sand scorpion could be seen heading straight towards him underground.

Chloe gave him a smile and a little wave. "Goodbye."

He frowned in confused before suddenly being pulled halfway into the sand, screaming.

Nick rushed passed her and grabbed the bag of water and gun away.

Stephen remained with Taylor, shielding her from the sight.

Chloe just stood there, watching him, not moving in fear of attracting more of those creatures.

Nick shot around the man, luring off the creature for a couple of seconds.

Stephen raced to the man and went to his knees on the sand. "Who sent you? It was Lester, wasn't it?"

The Cleaner snorted. "I'm a professional. I don't talk, ever!"

And then he was pulled completely underground, leaving the three humans standing carefully on the sand, wary.

"You're absolutely certain that you don't know anything?" Stephen asked Chloe and Nick as they slowly, carefully, began backing away towards the rocks in unison.

"If I know anything," Nick announced. "It's not a great idea to run and shout in the sand."

"Good point." Stephen conceded as they finally made it onto the rock, where he turned on Chloe. "What the hell was that out there?"

"If Nick got shot it would slow us down, but if I got shot you'd be able to carry me easier, it wouldn't have been so bad." Chloe defended, trying to calm herself down and needed some emotional support, not this anger.

Stephen shook his head, anger and frustration in his every feature. "Does what I think not matter in the least bit? Will you _always_ do whatever _you_ want? WIll I _ever_ matter?"

"_What_?" Chloe asked, shocked. "Stephen, I don't understand why-."

"The other you would have understood!" He snapped at her. "She wouldn't have done something stupid like this!"

Chloe pulled back, blanching, hurt.

Stephen looked away.

"I'm not the other me, and I never will be." She replied softly. "If you can't deal with that, with the changes, then I think we're wasting our time."

"Maybe we are." He growled back.

Gulping, she nodded before yanking the detector out of his hands and beginning to follow the trace of the anomaly.

They continued on in tense silence, walking over the rocks and staying clear of the sand until they didn't have a choice but to step onto the sand. Still, the Cleaner had made it towards them on the sand which meant that if they kept their steps gentle and slow, tried to cause as little vibrations as possible, they should be fine. And it worked, for a while.

Just as they'd started the upwards climbed towards the dune whose crest the anomaly should be just over, Taylor fell, landing hard on the sand.

Suddenly the ground around them began to rustle and with an explosion Stephen yelled as he was yanked halfway through the sand, much like the Cleaner had before.

Taylor screamed, horrified.

"No!" Chloe screamed as she and Nick grabbed his arms, trying to pull him back up.

"Hold on, hold on!" Nick ordered Stephen.

"It's got me." Stephen whispered.

"_No_." Tears clouded her eyes as Chloe shook her head. "Stephen _no_!"

His gaze went to her right before he was pulled under.

"Stephen!" Nick yelled, trying the dig through the sand.

"No." Chloe whispered, tears falling. "NO!" She slammed her fists against the sand. "Give him back!"

Taylor quickly joined in, jumping up and down furiously. "Don't you eat him!"

"Let him him go!" Chloe screamed.

"You two have to-!" Nick yelled-.

The earth trembled as out from the sand emerged an enraged and disoriented sand scorpion, dangling Stephen by his feet from one of his pinchers.

Another emerged from behind them.

"Stay down and quiet." Nick ordered the girls.

The two creatures faced off, challenging each other for the food, Stephen dropping during the scuffle as they attacked each other viciously. He hurried to his feet and raced back towards them, Chloe's heart beating rapidly as he grabbed Taylor's hand and then her own, taking her with him as he began racing up towards the top of the dune.

Nick went back after the bag.

"Cutter! Leave the bag!" Stephen yelled back at him.

"Dad!" Chloe yelled.

"Ditch the bag!" Stephen yelled. "Get out of there!"

Chloe tried to go back but Stephen's hold was strong, and he pulled her up to the crest of the dune, where down below the anomaly could be seen. "Stephen-my father-."

"He'll be alright." Stephen replied, grabbing a large piece of shell-like exoskeleton, turning it upside down.

"What are you doing?" Taylor asked in confusion.

There was the sound of gunfire behind them.

"Quick, get in!" Stephen helped Taylor inside.

"_Stephen_..." Chloe looked behind her.

"Chloe, trust me." He pleaded.

She looked back at him and nodded, taking his hand and letting him help her onto it, wrapping her arms protectively around Taylor.

Nick finally crested the hill with the recording goggles, jumping onto the makeshift sled with them the same time as Stephen. The four of them huddled together as it raced down the sand dune, Taylor screaming, before finally coming to a stop at the foot of the dune.

Stephen grabbed Chloe, yanking her up, and Nick did the same for Taylor, the four of them racing through the sand towards the anomaly.

"Are we going home now?" Taylor asked as they neared.

"We're going _somewhere_." Nick answered as they raced through.

The electricity thrummed around them, light and life tickling their every senses, before they came out on the other side in a large woodland area.

The four shared looks before beginning to walk.

"We're not home, but at least there's no sand." Nick muttered.

"Any guesses where we are?" Stephen wanted to know, eyes alert for any possible attacks.

"Well, the air's normal, woodland looks familiar, so I guess it's gotta be within the last few thousand years." Nick replied.

"Hey look!" Taylor cried, taking off towards a campfire, a harsh tent constructed.

Nick observed the camp. "Middle Palaeolithic. Stephen, we've got to get away from here."

A caveman appeared in all his animal skin, unbathed glory, stalking them, spear in hand.

With one punch, Nick knocked him out.

Chloe blinked, walking towards the fallen man. "Were there spongebob squarepants briefs in the Middle Paleolithic days?"

"I think I just punched an actor." Nick cringed.

"Yeah." Stephen agreed.

"Cutter!" Connor's voice caused them to look up.

"Chloe! Stephen!" Abby cried as they appeared. "I knew you'd make it back!"

"It is _really_ good to see you guys." Connor grinned.

Stephen shook his head. "Yeah, a few basic plants, some bugs!"

Connor made a face. "_What_?"

Nick, Chloe and Stephen exchanged snorts before turning to look at Connor, shaking their head at him.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Helen frowned.

Apparently her men hadn't made it back.

This was adding to an already spectacularly bad day.

Was Leek really worth keeping alive?

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

They'd been 'welcomed' back by Lester, which was awkward since Nick only just managed to force Stephen to promise not to say anything or accuse Lester since they knew so little yet had so much at stake. Stephen had just bumped passed their boss and stormed away, while Nick coldly accepted the welcome and had hid the night vision goggle-recorders. It wouldn't do him any good though, since that night they'd get stolen from his office, vanishing without a trace.

Chloe had gone with Nick to return Taylor to her stepfather Steve, who'd been crying over her loss and had hugged her tightly, kissing her forehead and promising her to pull together and be the father she needed him to be. Spratt, the dog, had been happily licking their faces as the two of them hugged.

It'd made tears come to Chloe's eyes as she walked behind Nick and Jenny, who were flirting although the two of them would probably deny it later on.

But she didn't have half a mind to even notice the flirting, her mind on her own issues. Things with Stephen were starting to crumble, and no matter how hard she tried to put her head in the sand or bend backwards to make things better...they weren't. And making a relationship work shouldn't be this hard. Shouldn't make her feel this tired. She could see how she'd fallen in love with Stephen in this timeline, and if things weren't so complicated she could easily see herself growing to love him as he deserved, but things were...complicated. Not only was she burying her head in the sand and ignoring the huge problems in their relationship, but Stephen was doing the same thing. They were pretending that all was well with them and that life was perfect. They let their natural chemistry lead this relationship and sometimes chemistry wasn't enough.

This wasn't about Ben.

It wasn't.

Even if she hadn't met him in this timeline Chloe realized that this would have happened sooner or later. Stephen and her had just jumped into a relationship-or tried to continue a relationship that neither of them had truly had with the other. In his mind she was the other Chloe, and in her mind he was her Stephen. And yet they weren't. They really weren't, and the other wasn't readily mentally or emotionally to deal with that or the changes it was bringing to this relationship of theirs.

She'd hoped to have had everything packed and taken to her father's house before Stephen's return from wherever he'd gone after leaving the Lost World Adventure Park, but as she was logging her things to the living room the flat opened and he entered, freezing as the door swung closed behind him.

"You're packed." He noticed, eyes on the duffle bag she held.

Chloe nodded, lowering it to the ground. "I think we need some time apart."

"Chloe..." he ran his hand over his hair. "About what I said in the Silurian-."

"Stephen, it's something you've been thinking for a long time. You fell in love with this timeline's Chloe, not me." The blonde pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. "I think we need to spend the next couple of days apart and see how things go from there."

"I don't want you to leave." He whispered. "If you leave this will all be over and I don't want that."

"I don't want that either, Stephen." Chloe cleared her throat, tears pricking her eyes. "But we have serious issues, serious _trust_ issues! And neither of us can really shoulder the blame. I knew a different Stephen and you knew a different Chloe...and we keep trying to make each other into the one we used to know."

"I _love_ you, dammit!" He grabbed hold of her shoulders.

"You love the other me," she whispered, lowering her gaze. "We both need time apart."

"No, time is _not_ going to help us. Time apart doesn't make the heart grow fonder it makes it _wander_, and I'm not going to lose you." Stephen shook his head. "I _love_ you, Chloe." He then went down on his knees, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a case. "I've been wearing this on me for a while now, waiting for the right moment, and I thought I was going to die I realized what a fool I'd been."

Chloe's eyes were wide, her throat constricted as she gazed down at the ring. "_Stephen_?"

"I know we're going to have issues, and I know that marriage won't solve our problems, but I can't imagine not spending the rest of my life with you by my side like you have ever since the moment I met you."

Chloe brought her hand to her mouth. "Stephen I-that wasn't me-I-."

"Say yes," he pleaded.

She gazed down at him, heart breaking as she answered.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

**Review?**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Don't own Primeval/Smallville

Sequel to: Primeval - Season one

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"You mean you haven't been able to get Rex back?" Chloe frowned as she waited in a traffic jam in the M25 Motorway.

"I'm going to find Caroline, and I'm going to kill her." Abby growled with murderous promise. "I'm so worried Chlo, what if she's hurt him? He's a delicate creature! He needs to be in a certain temperature, eat certain food or -I don't even want to think of what might happen to him!"

"Calm down Abbs." Chloe sighed. "You're just going to have to tell Cutter."

Abby was cringing, it was somehow obvious in the sound of her voice. "I'm beginning to think you're right and I won't get Rex back any other way."

Chloe looked up at the LED sign above them which read SEVERE DELAYS, as if the traffic jam she as currently stuck in wasn't obvious enough."The second you get into the ARC today you need to-." She turned her head as someone ran passed her car...and the sound of roaring caused Chloe's eyes to widen as she peered out of her windshield up ahead of her as people started getting out of their cars and running as cars were flung left and right as if they were nothing but mere toys. "Tell dad that there's a mammoth on the M25 Motorway."

"What?" Abby asked.

"Abby! There's a mammoth! Get the personnel from the ARC here!" Chloe snapped closed her phone, watching as the large mammoth flung over a car which had a woman and young boy inside. "Oh no."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"So what's the secret meeting all about?" Stephen asked as he entered the staff gym, seeing that only Connor was there. He looked around, wondering where Abby, Cutter and Chloe were as he took a sip of his coffee and leaned against his locker.

"I don't know." Connor declared from where he was sitting. "He just said the core team needed to meet here now. But Abby can't make it because of some emergency at the zoo and I'm not sure if Chloe's a part of the team anymore. Is she?" He then flinched. "Sorry man. I wasn't thinking. How are you doing?"

Stephen took a long sip of his drink. "News travels fast."

"Chloe called Abby, said she'd moved in with her dad for a while." Connor admitted.

"It's fine." Stephen's jaw tensed as his gaze went to a weight rack. "We just hit a rough patch, that's all."

"Mate, you proposed and she rejected you." Connor looked worried. "I think that qualifies as a little more than just a 'rough patch'."

"Look, I don't want to-." Stephen started before stopping the second the door opened and Cutter walked in.

"Thanks for coming." Nick Cutter locked the door behind him. "I wanted it to be somewhere we wouldn't be overheard." He frowned. "Where's Abby?

"Working at the zoo. Emergency with the lions or something. Couldn't make it." Connor stood.

Stephen cleared his throat. "Chloe still pretending she doesn't have a job?"

"She quit, remember?" Cutter declared, not meeting Stephen's gaze. "Jenny's formidable mother-in-law is actually looking for an assistant and Chloe is considering applying for the job."

"_What_?" Stephen snapped.

"You can't be serious." Connor frowned, looking just as upset.

Cutter cleared his throat. "To be honest, I'd be very happy if she took that job. I don't like her being near the anomalies. It's too dangerous. And the anomalies are why we're here." He went to the music system and turned it up, as if expecting there to be a listening device in the room...then again...there very well could be one. "There is someone working against us."

Stephen and Connor drew nearer, as Cutter's voice had lowered.

"Someone who has access to the detector and probably the same person who stole the headset in the Silurian." He continued whispering.

"Someone?" Stephen frowned, not believing Cutter wouldn't just come out and say 'Lester'. Wasn't it obvious?

"Okay, I know that we all have our own ideas about who that might be," Cutter declared. "But _this time_ we have to find out for sure."

"Okay, so how are we gonna do that?" Stephen wanted to know, glad that for once they would be going on the offensive.

An alarm sounded.

An anomaly had opened.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

The boy was screaming for his mother, who was unconscious in the front seat of the car that'd thankfully landed right side up. Chloe grabbed her crowbar from under her seat and got out of her car, using the vehicles as cover as she made her way towards the trapped civilians. The Columbian Mammoth attacked a couple of people who'd ran out of their cars yet were too slow, spearing them with its tusks or just slamming its trunk against their bodies and sending them flying into cars or other people.

She made it to the window of the car as the driver started to revive due to the cries of her child. "Are you okay?"

The woman gasped in surprise before starting to freak. "I can't get out! My legs are trapped. My little boy...!"

"What's his name?" Chloe tried to calm her, since seeing her like that wouldn't do the boy any good.

"Jake." She answered.

Chloe went to the backseat window and looked at the boy who seemed secure. "Hey Jake, I'm Chloe."

He nodded.

"Everything's going to be alright." She reassured him. "So don't panic. You'll need to be brave for your mommy. Okay?"

The boy nodded once more.

Chloe went back to the driver's window. "Calvary's on the way, people who can deal with this sort of situation."

"Who can deal with whatever the hell that is?" The woman cried as the Mammoth drove its tusks through the window of a posh little car in front, lifting it clear off of the road.

"It's an elephant." Chloe tried covering.

"I've never seen an elephant like that."

"Oh, of course not, those aren't supposed to be allowed into the country. It's obviously been illegally imported for some private zoo or a circus or something." Chloe tried her best to look sincere. "They're known for being violent and territorial, especially around mating season, which I'm guessing this is."

"They better deport whoever brought him in!" The woman cried.

Chloe took in a deep breath, deciding that if Jenny ever left the ARC she herself might have a future in her job. "Okay, I have my crowbar with me. I'm not exactly the strongest person but I'm coming in there and seeing if I can somehow free your leg."

"Thank you so much." The woman whispered.

Someone's body was flung onto the car.

Chloe ducked behind the vehicle for protection.

The woman trapped in the front screamed.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

They were gonna need a bigger gun.

A Colombian Mammoth was on the M25 in broad day light. This was Lester's nightmare come true. Jenny was trying to figure out how in the world to cover _this one_ up. Cutter was excited since this would be their first Mammoth. Connor was...well...he was Connor.

Stephen was grateful for this as it helped keep his mind off of how quickly things had deteriorated in his life. He walked to his car to find a more suitable gun, his thoughts chaotic. Chloe couldn't truly be thinking of leaving the team. Not after that long speech she'd given him and Nick before...about the anomaly being connected to her somehow and her _need_ to know the truth.

He opened his trunk, grabbed the gun and slammed the trunk down to reveal Helen Cutter. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to see you." She replied.

A car honked.

"Get down." Stephen ordered.

She rapidly did as told.

Nick and Connor pulled up in Nick's car.

Stephen turned towards them, hiding the gun with Helen behind the car. "I left the gun inside, I'll catch up with you, yeah?"

Nick nodded, driving away as Connor received a call on his phone from Abby.

Stephen watched them join leave the compound before turning to Helen. "What are you playing at?"

"Talk to me Stephen." She ignored his question.

He glared at her before sighing. "You were right."

She stood with a sigh.

"Cutter knows about the conspiracy." Stephen frowned.

"Come with me." She leaned against the car. "We can't wait any longer. Nick can cope."

He leaned against the car, cursing silently how fucked up everything was getting.

Helen looked away in annoyance at his hesitation before turning back to him. "Every second you delay makes Lester's position stronger."

That did it and he looked at her, nodding. "All right."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

As Chloe sat in the front passenger's seat trying unsuccessfully to free Jasmine from her car she wondered how in the world Jenny was going to handle all of this. Though the fact that police nor camera crew had tried flying over in a helicopter as yet meant that she'd probably put up a no flying restriction-and the fact that neither Chloe's nor Jasmine's cells worked meant that there was a barring on mobile phone reception as well. This comforted the blonde as it meant that the ARC team were out there already trying to figure out how to get the Mammoth out of this mess.

The creature came close and Jasmine started to scream.

Chloe dropped the crowbar and reached out, covering her mouth. "Do _not_ make any noise. We're safest if it doesn't know we're here."

The woman was trembling, but nodded.

Chloe removed her hand.

Up ahead a familiar truck came into sight, slowly maneuvering towards them through the spaces between abandoned cars.

Chloe's eyes widened and she smiled. They were here.

Jasmine wiped at her tears. "Why did they stop? Why aren't they coming to help us?"

Chloe looked up ahead. "They just can't approach us, the ma-elephant is too nervous. The best thing we can do right now is calm down and give them the time they need to rescue us."

"But the elephant-."

"Won't even notice us if we're quiet and stay in the car." Chloe promised, reaching out and squeezing the woman's hand. "In the meantime, lets see if we can't get your legs free as quietly as possible."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"We'll need proof." Stephen declared as he and Helen spoke in the dense foliage behind the ARC, hidden by the trees and shrubbery from any curious eyes. "Files, photographs, video footage, a complete record of the entire anomaly operation."

"You know Lester will kill you if he has to." Helen tried for worried.

"You'll have to tell the press everything." Stephen declared, every minute falling more and more into place in her plans. "It could get ugly. That's not all." He cleared his throat. "We have to give Cutter another chance."

"What?" She asked, surprised, having thought she'd managed to turn Stephen against Nick.

"We're gonna tell him what we're going, give him the choice." Stephen declared, ever the faithful little lap dog.

Helen was definitely seeing why Chloe had a hard time forgetting her past lover. "Can't tell him, Stephen."

"I'm not going to." Stephen replied. "You are."

"All right." She replied, because any other answer would make him suspicious. "If you think Nick will listen to reason though, you're wrong."

"Oh, he'll listen." Stephen replied. "It's not personal."

She raised an eyebrow. "What about Chloe?"

Immediately his gaze lowered. "What about her?"

"I'm surprised you want to give Nick another chance but not her." She replied, enjoying putting him on edge like this, getting his mind off of what he thought was right by Nick and instead getting him annoyed. "I know she moved out on you, so I was wondering how exactly things are going."

"That's none of your concern." Stephen snapped at her.

"On the contrary, that's my daughter." And she had plans for her.

"You're not exactly mother of the year, Helen." Stephen snapped at her.

She didn't snap back at him because she needed him. "Doesn't mean I don't care about her, Stephen. She's my only child and even if she doesn't know I'm there, I keep an eye on her to make sure she's fine. It's how I know she's letting Nick influence her too much."

Stephen paused, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"I remember the other timeline, Stephen." Helen leaned hard against the tree, eyebrow raised. "In it you didn't even have a _chance_ with her."

His fist clenched.

"You were close, don't get me wrong, but she was always in love with _Ben_." Helen hid the way the pain in his expression gave her glee. "During our travels throughout the anomalies Chloe and I bonded over the loss of the only men we'd ever truly loved because of stepping into our first anomalies."

Stephen cringed.

Helen couldn't keep back her smirk, enjoying how he understood what she hadn't said.

He'd loved Helen once, and he loved Chloe now...and the men both women had truly loved hadn't been him.

Never would be.

"This _isn't_ the old timeline, Helen." Stephen was barely able to keep a hold of his emotions, he was fragile like that, it was what made him easy to manipulate. "I'm getting her back."

"It'll be easier to do that if she doesn't have Nick whispering in her ear all the time affecting her decisions." Helen declared.

He looked at her before shaking his head and storming away.

She grinned, everything falling into place, before following.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Chloe was there.

Somehow, for some reason, she was in the car with the woman and boy.

How is it that his daughter always managed to find herself in the middle of the chaos caused by an anomaly even when she wasn't with the team? Nick paced back and forth, worried, seeing the mammoth oh so close to the car with his daughter in it, the car the mammoth could squash easily if it wanted to. The only good thing was that Chloe was keeping the woman and boy calm and quiet in the car so the mammoth wasn't noticing them. They would be safer that way.

He felt pride well up in his chest.

"Where is Stephen?" Connor looked around him, worried. "We need more firepower to be able to deal with something that size!"

"He should be here by now." Nick frowned. "But we can't wait any longer. The mammoth can't smell his mates and he's getting more and more agitated."

"What are you gonna do?" Connor asked.

"This." Nick rushed out towards the motorway, ducking around cars, keeping himself as hidden as possible before arriving at the car. "Is everyone alright here?"

"I'm trapped." The woman cried. "Please help Jake."

"Hey dad." Chloe smiled up from where she was trying to free the woman's legs unsuccessfully.

"Hey kiddo." He smiled at her, glad to see she was okay, before going to the back seat where the boy was strapped in. He opened the door and unstrapped him.

"Mum!" Jake cried.

"It's okay, I'll look after her." Nick promised before looking in the front seat. "Chloe, take him to safety. I'll get her free."

"Be careful." Chloe nodded, slipping out of the front seat and grabbing Jake, picking him up. "Come on. My dad will protect your mum."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

They hurried behind a van, hiding from the mammoth, slowly making their way towards where Connor was waiting.

"Chloe!" He let out a breath of relief. "You're okay!"

"Connor, we need to find a way to get that mammoth back into the anomaly." Chloe announced, going to the car and using the ARC's radio, entering Abby's frequency. "Abbs? Abby?"

There was a crackle and then: "Chloe? You're okay! I tried getting into contact but the call won't go through and-!"

"Abby, are you still at the zoo?"

"Yes."

"I need a big favor." Chloe declared. "I need you to get as much female elephant urine as possible and bring it here straightaway."

"Elephant-?" Abby gasped. "Genius! You're going to lead it to the anomaly! I'm on it! I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Thanks Abbs."

Jasmine screamed in pain from inside of the car on the motorway, causing the mammoth to race towards the car and spearing it form behind with its tusks, lifting the vehicle in the air.

"Mommy!" Jake cried.

"Connor! Keep him there!" Chloe yelled.

The mammoth flung the car free from its tusks, the vehicle landing upside down, with the creature racing towards it, Jasmine's screams terrified and pained.

The mammoth raised up and slammed down on the back of the car, beginning to climb it towards the front, squishing the car with her father and Jasmine inside.

"_No_." Chloe whispered, racing forwards, ignoring Connor's yell for her to come back. "Hey! Hey! You!" She yelled, waving her hands, but the creature ignored her. She looked around her before racing to a boxed in convertible and reaching in, pressing hard on the horn. The noise was loud and jarring, causing the mammoth to stop stomping on the car and turn towards her. "Oh boy." She looked around her and started racing away, the creature roaring as it chased behind.

Racing in between the cars, Chloe tried to slow down the creature's approach but it either trampled over the cars or tossed them aside as if they were toys. She ignored the roars and her own rapidly beating heart, racing towards the anomaly, hoping to lure the creature back through even if she had to jump in herself. There had to be enough time to go through the anomaly and come back before it closed.

There had to be.

And yet as she drew closer she could feel the throbs of the anomaly, feel them rapid and urgent like the beat of her own heart.

It wasn't going to last long.

As she made a jump for it the anomaly disintegrated and she tumbled to the ground, twisting her ankle as she fell. The blonde gasped for breath, turning towards the mammoth to come right towards her...before stopping and seeming to scent the air. It turned around and started racing towards an open moving van, which was being sprayed with female elephant urine by Abby-who must have performed a _miracle_ to have arrived so soon. Then again, the zoo wasn't that far away from here now that Chloe thought about it.

The mammoth raced up the ramp into the van and the ramp closed behind it, capturing it.

Abby smiled, dropping the container of urine. "We caught ourselves a mammoth!"

Chloe smiled at her before collapsing onto her back on the asphalt, gasping for breath.

"Chloe?"

She looked up in time for Nick to fall to his knees and pull her into his arms.

"You stupid stupid girl!" He held her tight, trembling. "You could have been killed!"

"You too." She whispered, hugging him.

"I just got you back, Chloe." He whispered into her hair. "I can't lose you."

"And I can't lose you dad." Chloe cleared her throat, tears prickling her eyes. "You're all I have left."

He held her tighter, crying softly as well.

They finally pulled away, looking into each other's face.

"Dad," she whispered, reaching up to brush a tear from his cheek. "I'm coming back to the ARC starting today. I can't seem to stay away from anomalies even if I try."

"I'm realizing that," he admitted, wiping at her own tear before helping her up.

Her ankle throbbed from having landed on it awkwardly, and so her father wrapped an arm around her, helping her limp forwards. They walked passed where Abby and Connor were leaning against the van with the now contained mammoth, and made their way towards where the ARC truck was. Chloe smiled, feeling much better now that she'd decided to go back to the ARC. She knew now that what she'd said was true. She _was_ a part of the anomalies somehow. Even when she'd tried to stay away from them she'd somehow been drawn to the anomalies on her own.

There was no other path for her.

"Do you think Lester will give me a hard time because I called him a pompous idiot?" Chloe asked her father curiously.

He chuckled. "If anything I think he might respect you a bit more. Or, he'll just blame it on the yankee in you."

"He might." Chloe agreed with a laugh before freezing, eyes widening in shock.

In front of them, leaning against a car, were Stephen...and her mother.

Nick stopped.

Abby and Connor, who'd been coming up behind them, froze as well.

Stephen pushed away from the car and started towards them.

Nick and Chloe exchanged looks before bridging the distance between them, standing before the two newcomers. Chloe couldn't understand what she was seeing. What was Stephen doing with her mother? Why were they together? What was going on? It couldn't be good. Helen was her mother but Chloe knew that the woman was more than a little twisted.

"So where the hell have you been?" Nick stared at Stephen, ignoring Helen's presence. "We could have been killed."

"You weren't." Stephen replied.

"Not this time." Nick frowned. "Chloe was very nearly close."

Stephen's gaze went to Chloe before going back to Nick.

Chloe's gaze went to Stephen before sliding to her mother. "Helen."

"Hello darling." Helen smiled that cunning smile of hers that made Chloe uneasy. Her gaze then went to her husband. "You just gonna ignore me, Nick?"

Nick didn't even look at her, eyes on Stephen. "She with you?"

Chloe allowed her gaze back to Stephen, seeing the dark circles under his eyes and yet managing to keep back the guilt as confusion and suspicion built in her at her mother's presence.

"Not in the way you think." Stephen announced, gaze going between the two of them.

Chloe frowned. "You've been seeing her?"

"Yeah, a couple of times." Stephen nodded. "But that isn't important, what _is_ important is that-."

"A couple of times." Chloe whispered, cutting into his sentence. "You've seen her a couple of times."

"Chloe-." Stephen started towards her.

She took a step back and nearly crumbled as her ankle throbbed in agony when she put pressure on it.

Nick tightened his hold on her, keeping her on her feet. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She cringed through the pain.

"You were hurt." Stephen whispered, seeming to realize it only now.

"You made me feel horrible for keeping secrets from you," Chloe narrowed her eyes at him. "I told you everything, I opened up completely to you...and yet you still wouldn't tell me about seeing my mother?"

"There's nothing going on between her and I." Stephen promised.

"That doesn't matter!" Chloe snapped at him, fighting back the tears of hurt and humiliation. "I trusted you with everything and you didn't trust me."

"It's not-!" Stephen took a step towards hers.

"That's enough, Stephen." Nick shook his head, stepping protectively between them. "You're fired."

"What?" Chloe asked in shock as Nick tightened his grip around her and walked them passed Stephen.

"She can help us!" Stephen turned to follow them.

"If you think Helen's here to help, then you're madder than she is." Nick continued to walk Chloe away.

"Just _listen_ to me!" Stephen grabbed hold of Chloe's arm, jerking her slightly out of Nick's hold.

Chloe looked between the two men who each had a hold on one of her arms.

"Are you still in love with her?" Nick glared at Stephen. "Is that why you trust her?"

"Will you _stop_ that?" Stephen snarled at him. "Stop trying to turn Chloe against me! You're the reason she moved out!"

"What?" Chloe asked in confusion. "Why would you think that?"

"You know what?" Nick snorted. "I don't care what you do. Do it. Just leave us alone."

He gave a jerk on Chloe's arm.

Stephen tightened his hold.

"Let go, Stephen." Nick glared.

"You let go!" Stephen snapped.

"The both of you let go!" Chloe jerked her arms out of their hold. "You're hurting me."

In more ways than one.

She looked between them before shaking her head and limping away.

Behind her, Nick shook his head at Stephen before joining her, leaving the younger male with a smirking Helen Cutter.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

So the yankee had finally decided to come to work.

Lester stood above in his glass office and watched as Chloe gazed at the captured mammoth in its holding cell down below in the command center, a look of lost sadness in her face. She was bruised and was using a crutch hooked under her arm so she could walk despite her badly sprained ankle, which was bandaged up. The girl looked younger than he'd ever seen her, hugging herself as she gazed up at the creature. He doubted she was even remotely interested in the mammoth itself, but it was probably more interesting to watch than Cutter, who was in a terrible mood now that he'd gone and fired Hart.

Then again, Lester didn't blame him.

First Hart messed with his wife, then his daughter, and then his wife again?

The bloke had it coming.

It was a pity though, as the man was a good tracker.

During Lester's moments of thought he didn't notice Chloe see Stephen enter the Command Center, and thus he didn't notice her begin to limp towards his office until she knocked.

The head of the ARC turned and raised an eyebrow. "Come in."

The yankee cleared her throat before slipping in, the door sliding closed behind her.

"I see you've bonded with the furry Dumbo."

She smirked. "He'll attack predators if he senses danger, and is disoriented while stuck in the wrong time. I can relate to that."

He waited for the groveling to ensue so she could get her old job back.

"I want to come back." She replied, leaning against the glass door, keeping off of her injured foot. "To the ARC."

"And we're just supposed to cater to your whimsy?" Lester went to sit behind his majestic desk, ready to make this difficult for her before finally relenting after an acceptable amount of pleading. "We need people we can rely on, not _fickle_ little girls who-."

Chloe hobbled towards him and leaned down, palms flat on his desk as she looked at him. "You need me."

He snorted. "Someone has an inflated sense of value."

"You don't need to confess your inner demons to me, we all have issues, it makes us all human." She replied, eyeing him intently. "Lester, I never truly wanted to leave the ARC, but some things happened and I needed to find answers. I've been testing a theory of mine, and the results-Lester-somehow I'm attracted to anomalies." She slowly and carefully sat down, leaning her crutch against the desk. "Even when I'm on my own doing my own things, I stumble upon anomalies."

"So I've noticed." Lester admitted, noticing Stephen talking to Abby, tension rising from them both. "You have a knack when it comes to coming across them."

"There has to be a reason for that." Chloe announced. "Something _in_ me." Her gaze met his steadily. "Something that might be picked up on if I can have a very thorough physical."

Lester tilted his head slightly in interest. "Are you saying what I believe you are saying?"

She nodded. "But on my terms."

He eyed her curiously before nodding. "Of course."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"We don't have the right to decide what people should know. " Stephen slipped into the room where Cutter was going over some documents. His talk with Connor and Abby had both been a blow, as both had in their own way scolded him for bailing of them with the mammoth, how Chloe and Cutter could have both died thanks to his absence, and both had told him in no uncertain way that whatever Cutter wanted they were going to be on his side. So since Chloe was upstairs talking to the Devil himself, Stephen went to the source of the contention in the gang hoping to get Cutter to see reason.

"Whatever argument you may have had lost any credibility when you hooked up with Helen." Cutter declared, keeping his back to him.

"She predicted this." Stephen shook his head, Helen's words whispering in his head. "Said that you wouldn't listen." He moved around the examination table so he could face Cutter finally. "That you were too arrogant to face reality."

Cutter finally looked up at him. "Reality? You have no idea what that word even means any more. The world _changed_. "

"Right." Stephen snarled, unable to keep a little of his resentment from coming out. "The world changed. The timeline messed up. You can't deal with it. You want things to be the way they were before! You must be _so happy_ damn _Ben_ is back in the picture!"

"Ben is back in the picture?" Cutter asked, surprised.

Stephen glared at him. "That isn't the point."

"You're right." Cutter replied. "The point is that we can't protect anyone until we know why the anomalies appear and what they mean."

"It's always your way or nothing."

"That works for me." He pushed away from the table and started walking away.

Stephen's resentment grew, his anger. "It doesn't work for me!"

"It doesn't have to." Cutter declared over his shoulder. "You and Helen can go and do whatever the hell you want together, just stay the hell away from my daughter."

"I am _not_ staying away from Chloe." Stephen growled.

"You damn well will." Cutter stopped though wouldn't turn towards him. "She isn't your Chloe, she never was, and she will never be. Especially not after the stunt you just pulled."

"And you'd be happy if that were true, wouldn't you?" Stephen sneered. "Just because your wife can't stay away from me you'll do all in your power to keep your daughter from me too."

There was no warning.

Cutter turned and slammed his fist into Stephen's face, sending him crashing into the wall.

Stephen wiped at the blood trickling down his nose as he stood. "That's made everything simple."

Cutter stared at him with disgust before turning and leaving, taking Connor and Abby with him.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Connor tapped at the Anomaly Detector, typing in commands, breathing in and out and trying not to hyperventilate as he whispered to Nick: "Is anyone looking?"

"Nobody knows what we're doing, Connor." Nick whispered back. "You're no reason to be suspicious. So relax and stop looking so guilty."

Connor nodded. "Sorry." He continued typing. "Uh, hands are shaking." He looked around him and began typing once more, opening up a program edit window and typing into it. "This thing with Stephen..."

"Don't go there." Nick frowned.

"Right." Connor continued typing. "Thought it was a bit harsh." He cleared his throat. "He's still our friend, isn't he?"

Nick looked at him.

Connor nodded, gaze going back to the computer. "And it's nothing to do with me. At least I can tell Abby I tried." The program began to run. "It's done."

"Both parts?" Nick whispered.

"Both parts." Connor nodded. "No one's gonna know a thing about this until it turns round and bites them."

Nick turned to look at the program and smiled. "Okay. Let's see where this trail leads."

The men smiled at each other.

Neither noticed Leek above them on the higher level, watching them with narrowed eyes.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Chloe looked up as she exited the bathroom, nearly giving a little squeak when she came face to face with Oliver Leek. She gazed into his smiling face and then frowned, looking behind her at the sign, making sure that yes, this _was_ the entrance to the female bathroom and not the male, before turning her attention back to the man who was still smiling.

The blonde cleared her throat, giving him a small, confused smile. "Can I help you?"

"Ah, yes, you're back on the team. I'm here to give you an official welcome back." Leek placed his hands in his coat's pocket and continued to smile at her. "Your presence was dearly missed around the ARC."

"That's...sweet." Chloe tried to keep the smile on her face although the confusion was mounting. "I...uh...missed being here."

"Good to know." Leek continued his creepy smile. "There are some new procedures that have been implemented since you left and Lester asked that I go through them with you but the files you need are in my car and I'm going out on an important task so why don't you walk down with me to the parking lot and I can give them to you so you can look them over?"

"Sure." Chloe nodded, following him slowly towards the elevator on her crutch, pressing the parking lot button, the doors closing and leaving them alone there. "So a new contract?"

"Something like that." Leek nodded as they continued down to the underground parking. "There's always so much paper work in this sort of job. You'd be surprised."

"I'm sure." Chloe nodded as the elevator stopped and the doors slid open, she lead the way out towards the vehicles before realizing she had no idea what Leek drove. "Which one?"

"T-that one over there." Leek reached into his pocket and pulled out his keychain, pressing a button and causing one of the cars to beep. "It's in the backseat."

"Okay." Chloe opened the backsheet door and frowned. "Nothing's here."

"M-maybe it fell under the seat."

Chloe leaned in more and looked under. "There's nothing-."

Something slammed into the back of her head, knocking her unconscious and sending her falling onto the seat.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

They'd set the trap and waited in the church where they'd set the false alarm to signal the anomaly was opened and they'd waited for the traitor to show himself. They'd been expecting Lester to come rushing in with armed men. They hadn't found any sign of Lester...instead Jenny had stormed in with armed guards searching for the anomaly.

Things hadn't been pretty, what with Cutter aiming a gun at Jenny and demanding to know why she was there. It also got awkward when Jenny obviously had no idea what was going on, why the gun was pointed to her face, and when she finally admitted that Leek had sent her, well, a lightbulb went on.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Caroline turned towards Leek as he exited his car and came towards her.

"Sorry I'm late." He straightened his tie. "I had a few loose ends to tie up." He reached her. "I know what a difficult job it is to pretend to enjoy someone's company." He reached into his jacket and pulled out the amount of cash agreed upon. "So, uh, well, hope this makes up for it."

She hesitated for a second before reaching for it. "Connor's not going to get hurt, is he?"

Leek smirked. "What? You mean you _actually_ care?"

"I'm not..." she shook her head. "I'm _human_."

He eyed her, thinking of all the dreams he'd had of her under him. "Yes, you are." He raised an eyebrow. "I hear you've got a present for me."

She motioned towards her car.

He walked to it and smirked as he saw Rex in a cat carrying case on the backseat. "Excellent. Undistinguished, but, well, he can serve his purpose."

"What purpose it that?" Caroline pulled a wild curl behind her ear. "Why are you so interested in these...these things?"

"Look, if you really want to know, I can show you." He reached into the backseat and pulled out the carrying case, closing the door behind him before turning to her. "Your choice."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

In his office Lester went over the paperwork that they'd need, signing all forms and such. It was certainly tedious to be in charge. It was after hours and everyone was gone and yet here he was, signing papers and drinking cold coffee. And did anyone in this operation appreciate his hard labor and sacrifice? No. The thankless barbarians.

Hearing a sound, he frowned as he stood, exiting his office, something clanging in the distance.

"Hello?"

He walked down the overpass, gazing down at the Command Center.

Above him, one of the lamps swayed while the other remains perfectly still.

Hands clasped behind his back, Lester's eyebrow raised as he continued walking down the overpass towards the Command Center.

Somewhere an object fell, the sound reverberating.

Reaching the ground, Lester paused by a small van, wondering why it was there and why the back was open. He gazed inside and found nothing, and yet something inside of him, his instincts maybe, told him that he had to be aware.

"Anybody there?"

He continued looking around as he circled the Anomaly Detector.

"You're on your own, James." Leek's annoying voice announced, causing him to turn around to se Leek's face in every screen of the Anomaly Detector. "There's no one there but you."

"Leek." He frowned. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Now, I want you to feel what it's like to be on the wrong end of your grand disdain," Leek sneered. "The little man looking up at the big boss."

"Security!" Lester yelled. "I want security in here now!"

"They've all gone, James." Leek declared. "Either off on Cutter's goose chase or dead. Now..."

Lester looked around before turning back to the screens and finding himself facing a Future Predator.

Leek chuckled. "I'm gonna hunt _you_."

Lester ran away as the electricity to the ARC began shutting off, leaving him in the dark and in a disadvantage yet he kept on, running through the hallways, never giving up. He was James bloody Lester. He would _not_ be done in by a bloody frog from the future!

He leaned against the corner, reaching his hand out, trying to find the panic button, pressing it and reinstating the electricity via the emergency generators.

The creature jumped out at him, slashing at his chest and throwing him back through the doors to the gym. He fell in and crawled inside, the creature stalking him. Lester's eyes widened as he saw the radio and slammed his hand on the power button, starting the loud music, causing the creature to roar as it grabbed its head. It floundered, unable to find him as the music vibrations messed with his ability to locate its prey.

Lester took the opportunity to rush into the armory and grab an automatic as the creature managed to destroy the radio. It came at him strong, taking each bullet and bouncing away before trying to come back. The gun clicked empty, the shells all around them, the creature driven back for precious seconds. Lester threw the gun down and raced back to the Command Center, racing towards the mammoth container. He grabbed the remote and walked towards the screens.

"Leek! You're never gonna make me beg for my life!" He puffed his chest up. "So let's just end it now."

"All right." Leek pouted. "If you insist." He pressed something that had the creature, which had climbed onto the beams of the roof, snarl and growl as it shook its head. "Goodbye James."

"One more thing!" James would_ not_ let that sniveling little rat have the last word.

"Yes?" Leek seemed intrigued.

Lester took in a deep breath despite the pain it caused to the slash in his chest. "You really are a _tiresome_ little man." He secretly pressed the button to open the container.

The creature jumped at James...and the mammoth proved true to Chloe's words. It sensed the predator and attacked, shearing it with its tusk, running it through.

James let out a breath of relief as the mammoth flung the creature's dead body off of its tusks.

"Good mammoth." Lester declared before leaning against the wall and sliding down to the ground as the mammoth sniffed the walls tranquilly.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Cutter, Connor, Abby and the others hurriedly returned to the ARC to inform Lester of Leek's traitorous activities only to find a dead future predator and an injured yet very lively Lester. Jenny was pissed off about the whole gun-to-head bit, but thankfully the fact that Connor's using the Anomaly Detector to try and hack into Leek's personal file to get information on the bastard and track him down caused a bomb attached under the van used to bring the future predator to go active...well...it was a good distraction.

Thankfully removing the battery from the car itself powered down the bomb attached to it, and that was able to be resolved relatively easy.

It wasn't until after everyone breathed a sigh of relief that someone realized something that had been overlooked in all the craziness.

"Where's Chloe?"

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

This place was so different from Stephen's apartment in the real timeline. It wasn't a spartan existence with only the essentials. Instead there was warmth, colors, and little details here and there that betrayed time and tenderness. There was a definitely a woman's touch in every corner of the flat. The pictures were everywhere, marking each spot of the flat as-well-they made it feel off-limits.

Helen reached for a picture of her daughter and smiled as she gazed at her. In the picture Chloe was holding one of the tranquilizer guns and doing a very exaggerated Bond pose. It was funny. Helen slipped the picture out of the frame and into her pocket before putting down the empty frame and looking at the other pictures.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she answered it, eyes on a picture of Chloe and Stephen toasting. "Yes?" She listened to the whiny little voice on the other end. "You did what? A bomb? What about-? Good. She isn't to be hurt." She shook her head. "Of all the crass, misconceived ideas, Oliver. Do you want me to finish this now? Because, you know, I can walk away at any time. Without _me_ you're nothing. Do you understand?" She sneered. "You realize this is going to make Nick more determined than ever to find you." She shook her head. "You make a crude little joke like that again, you'll regret it."

She hung up.

Stephen appeared in the doorway, cheek beginning to bruise from where Nick had hit him. "Who was that?"

Helen hesitated a second before giving him a smile. "A journalist. Someone from the old days." She picked up her gear and walked up towards him. "I've arranged a meeting."

"I'll come with you." Stephen smiled, eager to spill the beans on the ARC.

Helen barely kept herself from sneering. "Not this time. He's an old friend. I'll be better on my own." She tapped his good cheek as she passed him.

"Won't he be surprised to hear from you?" Stephen turned to watch her go. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Well, exactly," Helen wondered when in the world Stephen had grown a brain. "Which is why it'll be easier if I see him on my own. It's, uh, there's a lot of explaining to do." She hurried towards the door. "You get everything ready, I'll be back soon!"

"Will do."

She slammed the door and left, smirking.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

The video footage of the parking lot showed Oliver Leek knocking Chloe unconscious and stuffing her into the back of his car before leaving the ARC. Nick was going insane with worry yet he realized that he couldn't panic, couldn't just go about all guns a-blazing. If he was going to find out where that abominable little man was (and thus where he had Chloe) Nick was going to have to use what he had at hand.

And what they had at hand was the neural tap that'd been placed on the now dead future predator. It'd been surgically implanted in its skull. It must have been how Leek was controlling it. The clamp was linked to the central nervous system and it was operated by remote radio signals.

Even Connor had never seen anything that advanced before.

Leek wasn't smart enough to hotwire a future predator's brain by remote control.

At least that was where he made a mistake. Any incoming radio signals could be picked up by the detector, and all Connor had to do was to track the specific signal the neural tap worked on.

"We should tell Stephen." Abby commented.

Nick turned to her. "Stephen's made his bed. He can lie down in it."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Connor had managed to trace the signal...and Lester hadn't let them go. He'd left with the commandos, and Nick and the others had been left at the ARC with orders to stay put in case anything changed. Nick wanted to beat the crap out of Lester, to tell him that this was his daughter he was keeping him from rescuing, but Jenny and Abby both had kept him back and somehow convinced him that this was the best thing to do.

But he didn't agree.

He should be out there.

"I don't-understand." Connor frowned from where he was typing into the Anomaly Detector.

"What is it?" Jenny asked from where she stood watched Nick pace.

"I-I got this idea, right? From tracing this signal?" Connor continued typing. "I realized that I could trace someone through their phones and I thought, well, I could find Rex by tracing Caroline's phone signal and finding out where she was. But I wanted to do a test round and so I traced Chloe's phone. I thought there was a fluke somehow and then...it's the same."

"What's the same?" Abby stood.

"Make sense, Connor." Nick started towards him.

"Chloe's signal is _not_ coming from the place where we got the signal from the neural tap. It's somewhere else entirely." Connor frowned. "Thing is, Caroline's signal is coming form the same exact building."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

"Chloe?" the voice seemed to echo. "Chloe are you alright?"

There was a feeling of a caress against her cheek.

"Chloe?"

Chloe groaned, starting to come around.

"I'm sorry." The vaguely familiar voice whispered. "I told him not to hurt you."

Chloe forced her eyes open, finally seeing her mother leaning over her in the thick darkness. "Mom?"

Helen smiled, softly brushing some hair out of her daughter's face.

From behind her, Leek appeared.

Chloe's eyes widened and she sat up, hand to her throbbing head. "What's going on?"

"Lester took the bait, and found the pirated signal, went on the wild goose chase to nowhere...and Cutter and his team have been apprehended and contained in the building." Leek smirked, arms folded behind his arms, seeming quite self-satisfied.

Helen smiled and reached her hand to Chloe.

Chloe gulped before placing her hand in her mother's, accepting her help up, keeping her weight off of her injured ankle.

Suddenly the lights flickered on, and Chloe's eyes widened in horror as she found herself in a room filled with captured specimens from all the eras the anomalies had led to which they'd come up against, each dinosaur in a laser cage.

"What is this?" She whispered, looking around her in horror.

Helen smiled. "The future."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

**Review?**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Don't own Primeval/Smallville.

Sequel to: Primeval - Season one

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

_"What are Leek and Helen up to? All those creatures." Jenny paced the small windowless cell she and Nick had been locked up in, probably not at all aware that their every movement and conversation were being intently watched. "Why are they here? What are they going to do with them?"_

_Nick sat against the wall, not seeming at all concerned with what was happening to him. "Well, I could guess, but what's the point? It's gonna be okay. Helen's not interested in you."_

_"She's your wife. You should have kept her under control!" Jenny declared._

_Nick's lips curved in amusement._

_Jenny blushed. "You know what I mean."_

"You'd think she'd be too worried about her life to flirt." Helen declared as she leaned over the desk, watching the monitors intently, her gaze never leaving Nick.

From where she sat, holding her crutch over her lap waiting for the right time to act, Chloe made a face as her gaze went to where Leek was pacing behind her and then it went towards the computer screens featuring the cells in which her friends were locked up.

"She's obviously, flirting, don't you agree?" Helen sent Chloe a look over her shoulder before returning her gaze. "It's somewhat fascinating. I wonder if this is residue emotion from Claudia Brown or if no matter what personality she has, this woman just finds my husband irresistible."

_Nick chuckled, shaking his head. "I hope your fiance knows you're such an old-fashioned girl."_

_A look of unease crossed Jenny's features as she leaned against a wall. "For your information, I don't have a fiance any more."_

_Nick turned to look at her immediately. "Why? What happened?"_

_"This job." Jenny whispered, sadness on her every feature. "He thought I'd met someone else." She scoffed. "Couldn't very well tell him it wasn't another man, so much as a something-osaurus."_

_Nick continued to look at her intently._

_"Anyway, the truth of the matter is I've been feeling..." her gaze finally went to Nick, pausing as she looked at him intently. "...different, recently."_

_Something shifted in his eyes._

"Do you know I watched him outside of her house one night?" Helen commented, reaching out to trail her finger over the outline of Nick's face on the monitor. "He was beginning to try and explain to her that she was Claudia Brown and that he had a high school crush on her. Of course, her fiance...or ex fiance...arrived and he balked, leaving." She sneered. "Crushed him good."

Chloe felt her heart ache for her father, guilt filling her at this revelation. He hadn't told her anything about this, and she hadn't bothered to ask. Selfishly she'd only cared about her problems and her situations and hadn't stopped to think about all the pain her father was going through on his own. She was a terrible daughter.

_Jenny cleared her throat and pushed away from the wall, pacing once more. "Can we talk about this another time?"_

_"I didn't start it." Nick reminded._

_"It's not like we haven't got anything else to worry about." Jenny declared, ignoring his comment. "Imminent death, for example."_

_"It's okay. We're not gonna die." Nick replied. "Helen's a lot of things, but she's not a killer."_

_"You _**_really_**_ thinking she's in charge here?" Jenny made a face._

_"Yeah, Leek doesn't have the wit to do this on his own."_

Leek went to the monitors next to Helen, leaning down, face ugly. "He's seen what I can do, and yet he _still_ belittles me."

"It's your own fault, Oliver." Helen smirked, turning to face him, leaning against the desk. "You're too good at being insignificant."

Leek's eyes narrowed.

She didn't seem to care. "You won't forget our deal?" She pulled out a knife from only god knew where. "Nothing happens to Nick. Or Chloe."

Chloe looked between them before clearing her throat. "Why am I here?"

They turned to look at her.

"If you rather I could put you in a cell with the others." Leek declared in what he obviously thought was a menacing tone.

"I don't think you will." Chloe responded, bluffing her bravado as she glared at him. "They're in those cells because they came here. I'm here because you brought me. That means that while they stumbled onto you, you needed me here. And I want to know why."

Helen smirked, obviously quite proud. "And then you think everyone underestimates you, Oliver."

Leek sent her a glare before turning to Chloe. "The only reason you're here and not there is because you're injured, and vital to this experiment."

The blonde's eyes narrowed. "Experiment?"

"Don't let Oliver frighten you." Helen shook her head. "It's non-intrusive and all up to you actually. The experiment all depends on you."

"What?" Chloe turned to her, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Helen just smiled.

A guard cleared his throat, causing Leek to turn to see a pretty dark skinned girl brought to them.

"Ah, Caroline." He smiled at her.

Chloe's eyes widened. This was Caroline? Connor's ex girlfriend?

The girl stammered. "I-I'd like to go home now." She was shaking. "I don't want to be involved in anything like this."

Leek sent Helen a look before turning back to Caroline, grinning an evil grin. "I think you just need some pleasant company." He turned to the guard. "Grab her. We're taking her to see her little boyfriend." And with that they walked away, Caroline sobbing and trying to fight the guard in vain.

Helen smiled and opened her mouth to say something, when Nick's voice caught her attention and caused her to turn towards the monitor once more.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

"Lorraine, you're sure there are no messages?" James Lester frowned as he paced the overpass in the Command Center of the ARC. They'd come back from that lead they'd gotten on Leek's whereabouts only to find the place abandoned and a mocking dvd of the little bastard preening about his supposed brilliance on leading them off course. They'd had to return to the ARC to try and figure out what their next move was but when they'd arrived Cutter and the others had vanished into thin air.

It left an uneasy little stirring in Lester's stomach that just wouldn't go away.

"No sir." Lorraine assured, looking through a computer.

"There's been no anomaly alert?" He continued to pace, looking at his mobile phone, as if by glaring at it sufficiently he could somehow conjure up a call from the annoying professor and his ragtag team.

She looked up at him and shook her head.

Lester let out a sigh of utter aggravation. "Where IS everybody?"

"None of them are responding their mobiles." Lorraine was the Queen of Obvious today it would seem.

"Leek is planning something and I want to know what it is!" Lester declared, running his hand over his new suit, not quite forgiving Leek for having ruined his favorite one in the attempt against his life.

Lorraine bit her lip and gazed down at the computer.

Throwing his hands in the air, Lester stormed back into his office to pace some more.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

_"Whatever Leek's planning to do with those creatures, Helen will have her own agenda. She always does."_

_Jenny leaned against the wall once more, making a face. "Lester says she's mad."_

_"No, she's extraordinary." Nick declared seriously._

_"Extraordinary?" Jenny turned towards him with a frown. "She tried to kill you."_

_"No, no, no no, that was Leek." Nick chuckled. "Bombs aren't Helen's style."_

_"But hostage taking is?" Jenny made up her face._

_"Yes." Nick declared with a shake of his head. "She took Chloe before, to show her the beauties and mysteries of the anomalies...something she'd offered me and I'd turned down. So I know she must have her reasons for what she's doing now."_

_"God." Jenny made a face of disgust, something akin to jealous crossing her eyes. "Anyone would think you're still in love with the woman."_

_Nick turned to look at her, taking in a deep breath. "Yeah, probably am."_

Helen drew in her breath slightly, leaning in closer, her eyes widening.

Chloe watched the woman who was her mother and realized something that very instance that she hadn't realized before, and probably should have. "You're still in love with him."

Helen tensed before turning towards Chloe. "I never stopped loving Nick, despite everything."

"But you left him, willingly." Chloe couldn't even begin to understand. "If I had known that walking into that anomaly all those years ago would have taken me from Ben I never would have done it." She gulped. "But I know you would have."

"You're right." Helen admitted. "If I could do it all over again I would have. I'd step into that anomaly and do everything just the way I did in the past." She smirked. "I just might do that."

Chloe frowned, confused. "What?"

"What if, instead of you being alone in that apartment, what if Ben had been there with you?" Helen tilted her head. "What if you could go back and change it so that the _two_ of you could have walked into that anomaly together?" She smiled. "Think about it, you would have had him at your side this whole while, growing closer through these situations-you never would have parted from him. He could have proposed to your properly...although the ring had yet to arrive."

"_What_?" Chloe whispered, her eyes wide and filling with tears. "What are you-?"

"He was going to propose to you, before you disappeared." Helen replied. "He had sent for his grandmother's engagement ring. It was what he went to pick up when he left you at your apartment that day."

"You're lying." Chloe's voice shook as a silent tear slid down her face. "There's no way you could have known that. You're just trying to hurt me."

"No, no, no, no." Helen came towards her, bending on her knees to wipe at the tear with her thumb. "You're my daughter, my only child. I'd never hurt you." For a second, Chloe could see true motherly love in those almond-brown eyes. "I hadn't met your Ben before you stepped into the anomaly, but I'd had people watching over you, and I knew that he was going to propose."

Another tear made its way down Chloe's ashen cheek as she realized just how much she'd truly lost.

"And I know that unlike Stephen's embarrassing little...debacle...you would have said _yes_ to Ben." Helen wiped at another tear, brining her wet finger up to her lips and sucking in the salty tear. "You look at him the same way that I look at Nick."

_"It's not so much to do with love or hate any more." Nick declared. "It goes much deeper than that. We shared something that was unique. We connected. There's nothing I can do about it."_

Helen turned back to the monitor, transfixed.

Chloe looked away, silent tears trailing down her cheeks.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

The flat was too quiet. And it felt cold. Also, it seemed much larger now that he wasn't sharing it. The telly alone wasn't enough to make the place seem less dead. There should be more to this. Stephen could remember the days in which this would seem like Nirvana to him, and yet instead it seemed more like Tartarus. There should be the noise of Baby running up and down the floor, and Chloe's humming as she did something or the other. She always hummed Bittersweet Symphony, something he knew she didn't even realize that she did sometimes. It was a New!Chloe quirk, not an Old!Chloe one.

Stephen gazed up at the ceiling, one hand beneath his head and the other resting over his stomach as he waited for Helen to get back from talking to her journalist friend. He hoped that as soon as she finished talking to the man she called him so that he could know what the plan was. Lester was going to regret everything he'd done, Nick would have to eat everything he'd said, and Chloe would come around and realize that everything Stephen had done had been necessary for the common good.

Things would go back to the way they'd been before.

The bed wouldn't be cold and big and lumpy anymore.

His mobile phone rang, interrupting his sulking, and Stephen reached for it on the bedside table, bringing the devise to him and frowning when he saw it was Lester. He brought it to his ear, just wishing he could tell that snivelling little man that he was onto him and would make him rue the day he'd first hear the word 'anomaly'. "What do you want?"

"Listen, Stephen, this is no time for sulking." Lester declared. "People are dying right now and many more will die unless you do something."

Stephen remained silent, listening, wondering if this was a trap somehow.

Lester let out an aggravated sigh. "Look, we need you. There's been an attack at a beach. We think it's a Silurian scorpion. I can't get a hold of Cutter."

"How can I trust you?"

"Why shouldn't you trust...?" Lester sniffed. "Look...we haven't got time for this."

This could be real.

People could be dying.

Stephen frowned. "All right, tell me what's going on. But if I help you, I do it alone."

"You'll need backup."

No doubt to shoot him in the back.

Stephen snorted. "No. If I so much as catch sight of one of your men, I'm out."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Leaning on her crutch, Chloe stood in one of the many corridors, watching her mother pace. Helen had ordered Nick and Jenny be brought to her and they were waiting for them a good walk's distance outside of the Command Room, as Chloe decided to call it. She wondered how Leek would take to Helen's taking charge and releasing two of his prisoners while he was prancing about somewhere congratulating himself on his evil schemes going according to plan so far.

Hearing approaching footsteps, Chloe looked up and smiled in relief when her father and Jenny turned the corner, the guard behind them. "Dad."

"_Chloe_." He hurried forwards and wrapped her in his arms, holding her tightly.

She closed her eyes, drawing comfort from his warmth as she hugged him back.

"What? No hug for me?" Helen asked teasingly from behind them.

Nick looked up at her.

Helen stood on some steps, hands on her hips. "It's time we talked."

"What about?" Nick leaned against a machinery, arm around Chloe's shoulders as he gazed at his wife.

Helen ignored him, going to stand before Jenny, eyeing her curiously. "Fascinating. The same as Claudia in every external detail. Eyes, hair...in all visible ways she's the same woman and yet she's completely different."

She raised her hand to touch Jenny's brown hair.

"Back off." Jenny escaped the touch.

Helen grinned at her before turning to Nick. "A little more aggressive, perhaps, than the original." She tilted her head. "Claudia Brown becomes Jenny Lewis, a new person with a new identity. Interesting."

Jenny turned to look at Nick.

"It seems that nature allows only so much variation." She turned to look at Chloe. "Like your Ben. Or, Hilary, as he's called in this timeline." She smirked. "He has his same surname though, and that intrigues me. Why him and not her? So many questions."

"Listen." Jenny spoke up, bluffing bravado. "You can still save yourself. Help us and I'll make sure Lester goes easy on you."

Helen chuckled. "I think you'd be happier with your friends. This is a family meeting and you're the odd duck out, aren't you?" Her gaze went to the guard. "Take her."

Jenny's gaze went to Nick.

Nick nodded to her.

She took in a deep breath and allowed herself to be dragged away.

"Nick, you're with me." Helen declared, moving up the stairs and disappearing through the archway.

Nick turned to Chloe, voice lowered. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, gaze going to the archway before returning to him, lowering her voice as well. "Dad, we have to get everyone out of there."

"I know." He whispered. "But for right now we need to find out what's going on."

"Leek's got this whole place bugged." Chloe hissed softer.

He nodded.

He'd known.

Her eyes widened, wondering how much of the conversation in the cell with Jenny had been staged.

"Come on!" Helen called from ahead.

Nick took Chloe's crutch from her and with an arm around her waist helped her up the steps towards the walkways. "What's all of this about?" He called in a voice for Helen to hear as they made their way closer to her.

"Fresh start, Nick." Helen smiled. "A new and better future. The world changed in a new direction once before. Your friend Jenny, and Ben as well, prove that if we can control the anomalies, we can make it happen again." She grinned. "Doesn't that excite you?"

"No." Nick frowned. "I don't want to change the world, Helen. I happen to think it's rather beautiful just the way it is."

"You can't really be saying what I think you're saying." Chloe whispered, horrified to her core as she gazed into the glisten in her mother's eyes. "You know what happens when we interfere, the damage we cause!"

"We can't damage the future, Chloe, only alter it." Her mother declared sagely as she stepped in front of a open door, with blackness inside.

Suddenly a predator snarled and showed itself, reaching out with its arms and poking its head out slightly, though seeming unable to come out further. A red device was inserted on the top of its head, Chloe got a good look at this since she was face to face with the monster, its putrid breath bathing her face.

Helen chuckled, obviously amused by the terror on Chloe's face and the way Nick dragged her away from the door. "It can't hurt you. Not unless Leek orders it to. The neural clamp overrides its instincts."

Nick gazed at the monster in horror. "You gave this technology to Leek?"

Helen's gaze returned to the creature.

"It's from the future, this technology." Chloe whispered, breaths erratic from fear as she was unable to look away from the predator. "You found it when you went to the future, didn't you?"

"It wasn't the only thing I found in the future." Helen whispered, eyes surprisingly filled with emotion as they turned to look at Chloe intently.

The blonde frowned, confused at to the look she was receiving.

Helen turned and started walking away once more. "Come on, we're going to see Leek."

Nick and Chloe exchanged looks before giving a wide berth to the door with the predator, following after the light-footed brunette.

They finally made their way to the Command Room, and through the monitors Chloe could see that Leek and his guards had taken the others (Caroline included) down below them to the room where the laser cells were. A large siren sounded as Leek pressed a button, and meat dropped into the cell, feeding the creatures.

Abby found the cell where Rex was and hurried towards him.

"If it's me you really want to talk to, why don't you just let the others go?" Nick sent a look towards the monitors before helping Chloe back onto the seat she'd been on before, turning to face his wife.

"The last time the world changed, it was an accident." Helen ignored his question. "But we can repeat that accident as an experiment under controlled conditions."

"No!" Chloe's voice sounded louder and sharper than she'd intended. "You can't do that!"

"Actually, I can." Helen smiled.

Nick frowned at his wife. "So what you want to do if you want to change the present just to see what happens in the future?"

Helen gazed at him intently. "I knew you'd understand."

"What happens if you destroy the human race during this experiment?" Nick challenged, obviously trying to get her to see reason.

She laughed, ducking her gaze for a moment like a flirtatious maiden. "Then we bring it back again."

Nick was silent, just eyeing her in shock.

"Helen, you can't seriously be thinking of doing this." Chloe whispered, trying to reach out to the woman. "It's dangerous and crazy and..._immoral_."

"No it's not, it's just your _fear_ speaking." Helen turned to her. "I think this is why the anomalies first appeared...so that we can help create the future."

"No." Nick cut in. "Look, everything, _everything_ in nature is the result of random selection."

Helen gave an aggravated sigh.

Nick plowed on nonetheless. "Now, if we start to disrupt that perfect balance then life just begins to unravel."

"I disagree." She replied calmly, a smile hinting at the corners of her lips. "Let's see who's right."

The door opened and Leek appeared with a guard, pausing only for a second to sigh when he noticed Nick. "What's he doing here?"

"I invited him." Helen replied casually.

"Well, never mind." Leek shrugged. "I wanted him to see this anyway." He walked towards the main computers, tapping something. "Give away our location and your friends die."

He typed in some key codes bringing up a video conference option, which dialed the ARC. It rang and rang until it was finally answered, and then when he'd made his demand known it was forwarded to Lester, who could be heard asking if the call was from 'Cutter' as he sat down in front of his computer.

"I'm afraid it's not Cutter." Leek declared as Lester could be seen on the screen. "But he's here with me and so are the others."

"Hey Lester." Chloe waved in the background.

"As you can see, they're fine." Leek continued. "For now."

"It's only a matter of time until we track you down, Leek." Lester declared. "If you don't release them..."

"Listen to me." Leek glared. "An hour ago, I released a Silurian-era scorpion into a well-known holiday resort."

"_What_?" Chloe hissed. "You _psychopath_!"

He turned and grinned at her. "_Thank you_." Before turning back to face Lester, once more all business. "I can tell from your face it's already made an impact. I've positioned another dozen creatures in similar locations."

Nick turned to look at Helen, trying to get her to see reason.

Chloe had long given up on her mother, horror filling her soul as she realized how many people were in danger out there.

Lester must have realized the same thing, because his face went blank. "Go on."

"Call off the search, or I shall let them go one by one." Leek declared.

"What is it you really want, Leek?" Lester raised an eyebrow. "Is it money?"

"I'll be in touch." Leek declared.

"What about the scorpion?" Lester asked.

"Oh, um..." Leek thought for a second. "That's your problem." He then cut off the communication and turned to face them, smiling brightly at Chloe. "Did I _really_ come across as psychotic?"

Chloe gazed up at him, true fear creeping into her soul.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

If he was honest Stephen would admit that he'd welcomed the creature hunt. It'd done him good to have something to take his frustration out on. It'd been odd to see the beach deserted, but the hunt had been exhilarating. He'd purposely baited the thing, made the hunt last longer than it had to. He'd taken pleasure from the pursuit, and when the creature had showed cunning of its own he'd counted it as a bonus. In the end it'd ended up speared and contained for Lester and his men to come and pick it up. He'd called the despicable little man and let him know curtly that the job was over before hanging up.

He gazed at his phone and frowned.

Helen had yet to call.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

"Money? MONEY?" Chloe slammed the bottom of her crutch into the ground in anger. "You've got to be joking! TELL me that that isn't what this is all about!"

"The anomalies are unstoppable now." Leek declared in a smarter-than-thou tone. "And in the future money will not mean very much, but knowledge and power _will_, and I intend to be very, very powerful."

"Did Helen see you in the future in some screwed up version of Mad Max or Doomsday or something? King of the Cannibals sitting upon his high throne of bones?" Chloe pushed herself up to her feet, leaning heavily on the crutch and hating it because she'd like nothing better than to use it to beat this disgusting insect with. "Is THAT the grand future you're looking forwards to?"

Leek didn't answer.

Nick turned to Helen. "You knew all of this and yet you still helped him?"

"I need the right environment to conduct my research." She shrugged.

Leek turned to the computer and began keying in some information.

"What?" Nick frowned, going towards it. "What's going on?"

Chloe turned to look at the monitor to see that Abby, Connor, Jenny and Caroline were in another room now, looking around them. "What are you doing?"

A siren echoed in the room.

"I underestimated you, Oliver." Nick whispered. "You're a lot smarter than I give you credit for."

"I know." Leek sighed.

Nick walked away from the table and then turned back towards it. "When did you figure out that we'd rigged the anomaly detector?"

"Well, it wasn't difficult to see that you'd found my spyware." Leek turned towards him. "After that, all I needed to do was remotely upload a modification from my laptop."

Nick's gaze went to the laptop in question.

"Simple, really." Leek preened.

"I never saw that coming." Nick whispered to himself.

"No, of course you didn't." Leek sighed, shaking his head, an air of superiority emitting from him in waves. "But if you think that paying me compliments is gonna buy your friends any more time...I'm afraid you're mistaken."

"What do you mean by that?" Chloe hobbled towards him as Leek typed something into the computer. "What are you doing?"

Leek sent her a sideways glance. "I think the Americans calls it "dinner theatre"."

Chloe turned to look at him in horror before something happening on the screen caused her to return her attention there in time to see a Sabretooth tiger being let into the room with the four unarmed people. "_No_!" She turned to Helen. "You can't let them get eaten!"

"She's not the one in charge here," Leek reached out and grabbed Chloe's arm, yanking her to him. "I am!"

Nick took menacing steps towards Leek yet had to stop when the guards raised their guns at him. "Helen."

"All right," Helen turned her gaze to Leek. "You've had your nasty little joke."

Leek looked up from where he was still holding Chloe's arm. "Who said anything about a joke?"

"Let _go_!" Chloe yanked free, stumbling back into the computer, hissing as her crutch fell to the ground and her ankle hurt like hell.

"Stop this now." Helen raised an eyebrow at Leek.

Lightning fast Leek pointed his finger at her. "You do not give me orders! No one does!"

Surprise was obvious on Helen's face.

Chloe's gaze went to the screen, watching as Abby slowly left the small huddled group, stance a predator, drawing the sabretooth towards her.

Nick went to the monitors and grabbed a glass of water that'd been nearby, dumping it on the computer's keyboard.

Sparks flew.

One of the two guards grabbed him from behind, restraining him.

Leek chuckled. "Cutter, that's pathetic. I'll just patch my laptop up to the mainframe," he started doing so as he spoke. "And I still have complete control over the..."

"_Warning, warning_." An automated voice declared. "_System breach_."

Leek tried overriding, nothing worked.

"Don't bother." Nick declared, still in the guard's hold. "Connor planted the virus in the detector. He downloaded it to your laptop when you hacked in. In a couple of minutes the whole system's gonna be paralyzed."

Chloe gazed at her father, impressed beyond words. He'd known this would happen. He'd counted on it!

Leek growled as nothing he did worked.

"_Security failure imminent_." The Computer's voice warned. "_Security system disabled_."

Cutter took advantage of the distraction, freeing himself form the guard's hold and knocking him unconscious with his own gun. A scream from the monitor caused him to look there in time to see the sabretooth jump at Abby yet miss her, hitting a power circuit box, causing sparks of electricity to explode, sending the sabretooth running away as it cried in pain.

Chloe hurried to the desk and pressed a button she'd seen Leek press before, a door opening for the four to escape through.

So intent in their relief as the four below escaped from the room, they didn't notice Leek escaping until long after he'd gone.

"_Warning_." The Computer declare. "_Animal containment facility offline_."

Chloe's eyes widened in horror. "_No_."

The guard Nick had forgotten rushed to him, and Helen knocked him out cold.

"_Warning_." The Computer repeated. "_Animal containment facility offline_."

"You see Nick?" Helen turned to him, smiling. "We still make a good team."

"We're not a team." Nick replied, holding the gun. "I'm handing you over to Lester."

Chloe ignored them, trying to work the computer but it wasn't doing anything but allowing her to watch as the lasers in the cells in the holding room disappeared, allowing the creatures freedom which they happily took.

Raptors and mermonsters and all sorts of things that gave her nightmares escaped the holding area, infiltrating the building.

"No, you won't do that." Helen shook her head. "I heard what you said in the cell. I know you still love me."

Chloe froze, turning from the monitor to gaze at her parents.

"Don't flatter yourself." Nick shook his head. "I said exactly what you wanted to hear."

Helen's eyes narrowed. "You knew the cell was bugged."

"I thought it might be Leek's style," he nodded. "So I thought I'd put on a little performance just in case."

Despite her mother being a psychotic bitch, Chloe couldn't help but feel sorry for her. In her own demented way, Helen Cutter was desperately in love her with her husband.

"Oh, I'm sorry honey, I didn't mean it." Nick declared darkly at the show of Helen's emotions.

"I don't believe you." Helen finally whispered.

"I don't care." Nick replied, training his gun at her. "Now get in front of me before I shoot you."

"Dad!" Chloe gasped in shock.

Helen eyed him before making her way in front of him as ordered.

Without taking his eyes off of his wife, Nick reached out with his free hand and wrapped it around Chloe, helping the limping girl towards him.

"I don't think you'll shoot me, Nick." Helen turned towards them, walking backwards into the darkness.

"Helen..." He called warningly.

She took off into the darkness, disappearing.

Nick cursed under his breath.

Chloe patted his chest, letting him know she understood.

"_Warning, warning, warning_." The Computer called. "_Mainframe contacting external network_. _Upload of data files commencing._"

"Let's get out of here." Nick whispered.

She nodded.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

In the ARC, distorted chatter filtered through the Anomaly Detectors as the computer screens showed an influx of data that was so plentiful it wasn't able to show but a second of them before going onto the next. Lorraine tried her best to fix whatever was going on but this was Mr. Temple's baby and she was no where near as proficient as him when it came to technology or its use.

"What's going on?" Lester called from the overpass.

"The detector's networked itself to an external mainframe." Lorraine called back.

"Well stop it!"

"I can't!" She was going to get fired...this was a horrible day!

"Are we being sabotaged?" Lester asked.

"I don't think so." Lorraine returned her attention to the screens. "It's sending us information."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

There were dinosaurs everywhere and it didn't help that she was injured and thus slowing both her father and herself down considerably. There'd been some missed calls with a pair of raptors and a giant centipede, but they'd gotten out of that somehow. Still, they weren't the ones that Chloe was worried about. There was a future predator in here, and that was the thing she was terrified to come across.

Of course, it wasn't long after her voicing that fear to her father that they found themselves being stalked by one. One couldn't hide from a future predator as one did with the other creatures. The predators listened in to the sound of your heartbeat, the more scared you were the louder the beacon that told them food was waiting. And Chloe's heart was racing in horror as they cowered in the corner, her father aiming the gun at the darkness above them, the creature having so many places to hide and it was doing just that.

They could hear it though, its growls.

Father and daughter tried to make a run for it but the creature struck, sending Nick flying into the wall and Chloe tumbling to the ground in a wave of pain.

The girl looked up, seeing the predator standing tall over her. Her body shook in terror as the room grew stifling hot and seemed somewhat brighter.

The future predator paused over her, seeming utterly confused before roaring.

A gunshot sent it flying away from her.

In seconds her father was at her side, helping her up as they hurried away, the sound of the creature picking itself back at haunting their heels.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Stephen stared at the sea, remembering the time Chloe and he had come here. His Chloe had loved the sea, loved coming for a dip once every week, and he'd forgotten how much he'd missed complaining every time she'd drag him here early sunday mornings to go swimming. He missed a lot of things.

Hearing his phone ring, Stephen sighed as Helen's number showed up as he brought it to his ear. "Where have you been?"

"Stephen, listen, there isn't much time." Her voice was soft, breathy. "Lester kidnapped me. I got away, but I need you to come get me."

"Kidnapped?" Stephen couldn't believe the lengths that mucus was able to go!

She drew a breath, emotion thick. "Nick, Chloe...and the others...they're dead."

Stephen collapsed to his knees on the sand, his eyes widening in horror, his heart racing, his stomach sick.

"Lester had them killed." Helen whimpered. "Stephen, listen. Lester's going to call you. Whatever he says, it's a trap. I'm gonna tell you where I am and then I want you to throw your mobile away. They can trace you with it."

He listened to the address before standing and throwing the phone into the sea with a yell of despair.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

They made their way silently, finding themselves in the same room their friends had been offered to the sabretooth tiger in. Lights on the floor shone upwards, and the circuit box was still smoking from where the creature had jumped up against it and apparently fried it. As one they silently made their way across it towards the door the others had escaped through.

But as they reached the middle of the room Chloe stopped, feeling something, turning her head to gasp.

The predator was standing behind them.

Nick turned with her, watching as the creature, large as a man, came towards them.

The predator stood before Nick, staring into his face, letting out a gurgling sound as it watched him before quickly turning its attention to Chloe. It seemed to forget the man then, turning its body to face her, the gurgling sound now urgent as it lowered its head to hers, its putrid breath bathing her.

Nick reached out rapidly, wrapping his fingers around the neural clamp and yanking it out.

The predator roared in agony, flailing around before collapsing dead before them.

Chloe let out a breath of relief. "Nice one."

"I thought so myself." Nick whispered back, voice just as shaky.

Clapping could be heard as Leek appeared, sighing. "Clearly a design fault." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a remote device. "I'll have to correct that in the others."

"Others?" Nick whispered.

Leek motioned above them.

Chloe whimpered before looking up above, a cry escaping her lips as above them eight predators gathered and more yet were arriving.

"I wouldn't bother trying to escape." Leek declared. "They'll rip you both to pieces before you could blink." He smirked. "My very own Praetorian Guard. They'll make me untouchable."

Chloe reached out with a shaky and poked him.

He sneered at her. "You know what I mean."

Nick couldn't remove his gaze from above them. "You really think you can keep them locked up for long?"

"Well, properly chipped they're no more dangerous than a car or airplane." Leek replied stuffily. "A machine designed for human use."

"No, that's not how it's gonna work, Oliver." Nick finally looked down at him. "Because one day they're gonna escape and then when they do they're gonna kill all of us. It's the end of the human race you're looking at."

"Ooooooh!" Leek cried mockingly. "I'd love to stand around, discuss your apocalyptic fantasies all day Professor, but unfortunately I've got work to do." He smirked. "Now, in a few minutes, the mainframe will have eliminated the virus. Unfortunately, your '_friends_' have escaped with the creature Rex. Lester will soon know where I am." He walked towards them. "But I have _you two_." He now poked Chloe. "And I don't think he'll attack me."

"I wouldn't bet on that." Nick smirked.

The smirk wiped the assurance from Leek's face.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

The door to the room Helen had been holed in hiding was kicked open, and Stephen appeared looking like some dashing knight out to save the damsel in distress. Helen breathed out a sigh of relief and hugged Stephen when he surged forth and embraced her.

"What is this place?" He asked, pulling away.

Helen tried for scared yet honest as she looked around her. "I don't know. Lester's people brought me here."

"What happened to Chloe? To Cutter?" Stephen asked, his voice hoarse, his eyes filled with emotion.

She looked down, tears coming to her eyes yet not enough to spill. She wasn't _that_ good of an actress. "There are creatures here, Stephen. They were killed."

He looked away, agonized. "You saw i t?"

She nodded.

He turned his back on her, taking in a deep breath, before turning back to her. "Where's Lester?"

"Oh, he's too powerful Stephen." She shook her head. "We can't stay here." She came towards him. "I've been thinking, we should find another anomaly. Wait on the other side until it's safe."

He frowned at her. "We have to confront him."

"Stephen," she tried for terrified. "We have to go."

"He killed Chloe." Stephen's voice was lower than she'd ever heard it. "He killed _Cutter_. And the others. I'm not leaving until he's dead."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

"You've have your chance to surrender, Leek." Lester declared on the small portable device Leek was holding in his hand, which apparently also served as a remote for the future predators above them.

"I still have twelve creatures out there." Leek was obviously trying to pretend he was still in control of the situation. "One command from me, and there'll be absolute chaos."

"What, Cutter didn't tell you?" Lester's visage was proper smug. "That clever little virus of his sent us the content of your hard disk. We found names, locations, all sorts of useful stuff. We're just mopping up the last of your menagerie right now."

Leek sent Nick an accusing glare.

Nick gave him a sheepish smile.

"Oh, and Jenny just phoned." Lester continued, obviously having a wonderful time right now throwing it all in Leek's face. "You have, uh...oh, just a few minutes before we join you. Now if you don't mind, I think there's some snooker on the other channel."

Nick snorted in laughter.

"Have you ever seen a man torn in half on live TV, Lester?" Leek growled.

Chloe's eyes widened in horror as the camera device was pointed towards them.

"Call a halt to your men or I shall order the creatures to dismantle Professor Cutter, joint by joint." Leek declared.

"The government does not negotiate with hostage takers!" Lester declared.

"Thirty seconds, then they kill him." Leek declared. "Your choice."

Chloe suddenly realized the lack of mention of her own self, and she wondered if that was because if the creatures attacked her father they'd eat her too, or if Leek had plans for her alive. She grabbed hold of her father tightly in case the second were true.

"James, don't do it, I'm not important." Nick called out.

"Ten!" Leek began to yell.

"Unfortunately, I agree with Professor Cutter." Lester sighed.

"Eight!" Leek frowned at him. "Seven!"

Nick tightened his hold on the neural clamp.

"Six!"

Nick let go of her hand.

Chloe, confused, let go as well.

"Five!"

"No individual's life is more important than the protection of the public." Lester declared to Leek.

Leek was sweating. "Four!"

Nick looked behind them at the circuit box.

"Three!" Leek loosened his collar. "Two!"

Nick turned and raced towards the circuit box, jamming the neural clamp into it, the charge of electricity surging through it sending him flying backwards.

"Dad!" Chloe yelled, limping towards him.

The electricity in the circuit box fried the neural clamp, and with it, its network.

Above them, the future predators began to growl viciously as the lights in their clamps died.

"What have you _done_?" Leek cried out in horror.

Nick stumbled to his feet and wrapped an arm around Chloe, helping her out of the room. They could hear Leek behind them, screaming all sorts of obscenities and threats to them before suddenly he began to scream in agony and beg for help.

His Praetorian Guard had turned against him.

Et tu, Brutus?

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

All around them the creatures could be heard trying to escape.

"There's no time." Helen led Stephen, walking rapidly and determined. "Forget about Lester, it's too late."

"We finish this now, Helen." He growled behind her.

He then stopped, and looked at something.

Sensing that he wasn't following her anymore, Helen turned and followed his gaze, eyes widening as her brown orbs fell upon Chloe and Nick, who were seated on steps, seeming in shock. Nick was staring ahead and Chloe fussed with his hair, whispering to him.

Stephen just stared at them.

Nick looked up, eyes narrowed on them.

Chloe followed his glance and her eyes narrowed as well.

Helen looked from her daughter and husband to Stephen, wondering how she was going to get around this one now.

"You said they were dead." Stephen hissed, turning to glare at her. "What have you done?"

"Not you, too." Nick shook his head at Stephen. "Don't tell me you knew about this."

"Oh, I've never seen this place before in my life!" Stephen pointed his finger at him, his gaze lingering on Chloe's face.

She looked away from him.

Helen cleared her throat. "I told you the truth Stephen! Lester brought me here!"

"Ask her." Chloe spoke up, voice trembling. "Ask her about what she really wanted to do. Go an ask your precious Helen about Leek."

"She's not my precious anything!" Stephen snapped at her.

"Ask her how many people were going to die!" Chloe snapped right back at him, tears filling her eyes before her voice dropped, shaking with emotion. "Ask her how she didn't _care_."

"She's trying to trick you." Helen whispered, unable to look away from the emotion on her daughter's face.

"I wanted so badly to believe in you." Stephen hissed at her before turning to Nick and snarling at him. "But that doesn't put you in the right!"

"Stephen there's a whole army of predators in here!" Nick stood, voice vicious. "If any of them make it above ground there's gonna be nobody left!"

Stephen went silent.

"Now if you want to help people, we have to do this!" Nick snarled.

"There're too powerful, Nick." Helen shook her head. "There's nothing you can do."

"If there's anyone here who can think of a way to stop them, it's you." Chloe grabbed hold of the railing and pulled herself up, obviously terrified and hurt yet defiant and oh-so her daughter. Helen could see herself in the child, and it made her proud. "You brought them here. You know them better than anyone else. _How_ do we deal with them?"

Helen took in a deep breath, eyeing the blonde girl as she thought, before her eyes widened with an idea. "The siren. The creatures associate the sound with food. They'll come back to the cage room whenever it sounds."

"Then if we can lock them in with the predators they'll destroy each other." Chloe whispered, mind working on the same wave-length as hers.

Helen smiled cunningly at her daughter.

Chloe was so much like her, if only she'd admit it to herself.

Maybe then the blonde would take the steps necessary.

"Come on then." Nick wrapped an arm around their daughter and helped her as they all hurried back towards the cage room, Helen leading the way. Stephen took in their surroundings in disgusted silence, and Helen could catch him staring at Chloe every couple of minutes but her daughter only concentrated on making it to the cages, her body seeming in pain. The girl was also flushed, as if a fever had begun to set upon her.

They reached the cage room finally in the middle of it Helen found the handing cord with the controls. She pressed the red button and the siren wailed loudly in the air. Already the sound of the banging in the facility was growing less, the sound of creatures approaching loud and clear as they headed towards them.

"It's working." Nick whispered. "Let's get out of here."

"I'll seal the door." Helen nodded as she brought in the rear. "Nothing will get out."

Already a raptor had arrived.

Helen raced towards the button and hit it, escaping through the closing door just as the raptor grabbed hold of her leg, dragging her to the ground and into the room. She screamed, terrified and in pain, but suddenly Stephen and Nick were both there, struggling with the closing door and with the raptor which wanted to eat her.

Nick proved he loved her despite it all.

He wouldn't let her get hurt.

She knew he'd meant it when he said he still loved her.

"Stephen! Shoot it!" Nick grunted.

Stephen was apparently having trouble with the gun.

He was terribly useless.

If she survived this Helen was going to have to fix her attentions on some other minion.

A more useful, yet just as easily manipulated one.

Nick kicked out with his foot, damaging the locking device and stopping the door from closing enough to cut her in half.

Finally Stephen managed to handle his gun properly enough to shoot the raptor in the head, killing it.

Nick dragged Helen back into the safety of the hallway.

"The creatures are almost here!" She hurried to her feet. "Come on Nick!"

Nick stood at the door, trying to close it yet unable to. "I can't close it!"

Chloe leaned against the closed section, gazing in through the oval peep-hole. "We have to hurry guys! Those things will be arriving any second!"

Helen frowned, going back towards them.

Stephen followed. "We have to close it otherwise they're gonna get back out."

"We can only close it from in there now." Helen whispered, gaze going to the door, to the thin slit. "The control's on the other side, but it's already closed so much that whoever does it will be locked in."

Stephen looked behind him in horror as he, Nick and Helen drew together.

Chloe gazed through the slit into the room in fear.

Nick leaned hard against the door. "One of us has got to go back in."

Helen lowered her gaze.

It wasn't going to be her.

Silence reigned between them as the three faced each other.

Nick took in a deep breath, closing his eyes tightly. "I'll do it."

Stephen shook his head, horror in his eyes. "You'll never make it out."

Nick looked up at him. "Make sure Chloe makes it out of here."

"Cutter-." Stephen shook his head. "Cutter please don't-."

Nick turned towards the door in time to see it close.

Helen's eyes widened as she realized what had happened. "_Chloe_?"

Nick raced towards the door. "NO!"

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Terror filled Chloe's body as she gazed through the head-sized oval peephole in the door to see her father and Stephen banging on the door, ordering, begging her to open the door and let one of them take her place. Tears made their way down her cheeks despite her desperate pleading with herself to be brave for them.

"Don't do this Chloe!" Nick slammed his hands into the reinforced door, desperate. "Open this door! Open it!"

"Listen to him Chloe!" Stephen begged. "We'll find another way!"

Behind them, she could see her mother staring at her in a mixture of awe and horror.

"Open the damned door!" Her father bellowed.

Chloe tried a smile for him, but knew it was wobbly at best, the sound of the approaching creatures louder as they drew even closer. "I can't, if I do, you'll all die."

"Chloe _please_." Nick whispered, slamming the door. "Chloe!"

"Daddy..." Chloe wiped at her eyes, at the tears that blinded her. "Daddy it's okay."

"No it's not!" He was breaking down in front of her.

"Daddy...I love you." Chloe whispered, bringing her hand up to the glass.

Nick brought his hand up and placed it over hers, tears streaming down his face. "Chloe _please_."

"I have to do this." She whispered, beginning to limp backwards as the room started to fill with the predators. "You're all too important. If anyone is going to figure out anything about the anomalies and how to deal with them, its you three."

"_Chloe_..." Nick sobbed.

"_Bye_." She sobbed, moving so that he couldn't see her anymore, refusing to let him suffer through that as she turned to see the monsters surrounding her, reminding her oh so much of her childhood nightmares that she couldn't contain the cry of fear that escaped her lips.

The blonde slowly backed up against a wall, creatures all around her, predators above her. She slid to the ground, hugging herself as her body trembled violently. The room was hotter, brighter, almost suffocating.

A predator jumped down from the ceiling, landing right in front of her, the gurgling sound urgent once more.

Chloe closed her eyes and hugged her knees to her chest, lowering her head as she cried. She hummed to herself, Bittersweet Symphony not calming or soothing her fears as it usually did, but at least she didn't feel alone anymore.

The pain came sudden and immediate, blinding in its intensity, tearing her apart into millions of pieces.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Helen had slipped away, Nick never noticed. He hadn't cared. Still didn't. It'd taken countless of the ARC's security personnel to drag him from the floor he'd slid to long after the creatures inside had turned on each other. Nothing had survived. Nothing was intact. There were pieces of things everywhere...one of those pieces could belong to his daughter.

Nick doubled over and threw up.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Stephen stared at the walls filled with pictures of something he'd never have again.

He felt sick to his stomach but there was nothing left to heave.

There was nothing left.

Nothing.

Cutter was still in shock, the only thing he did was stare at the walls of his flat. Jenny, Connor and Abby had had to spend the last couple of days checking in on him to make sure that he'd fed himself or at least drank water.

It was why Baby was here with Stephen.

The tracker gazed down at the young dinosaur in his arms, bringing her to him so he could press a kiss to her head before putting her into her traveling case. He couldn't stay here, wouldn't stay here, but wasn't leaving her behind. Not her. Not his only living connection...

Picking up his suitcase and the carrying case, Stephen gave the flat one last look before leaving it all behind.

His connections would get him to Africa without any trouble, and from there he could lose himself far away from her memory...before it killed him.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Helen refused to spend her time like Nick, consumed by his own mourning. She spent her time in the Jurassic, keeping herself busy and checking between jumps to see if things had changed during her absence. So far nothing had changed, and Nick was losing a lot of weight due to his stubbornness.

Then again, he didn't know what she did.

He didn't know that their daughter was still alive.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

"You're not making any sense Mr. Temple." Lester raised an eyebrow at the youth, who was visibly bubbling with energy, and the girl Maitland wasn't much better. That in itself wasn't so surprising because they were always filled with indecent amount of energy and vigor, and yet it was _Jenny_ exhibiting the same amount of exuberance which kept him from shooing them out of his office.

"I thought it was a fluke, you know? And at first I hadn't even noticed it because the system was still downloading the info from Leek's computer and it _had_ been messed up with the virus, but I've double and triple checked and it's not wrong!" Connor was disgustingly giddy.

Lester couldn't remember himself acting like this in _his_ youth.

"What he's trying to say is that the computer detected activity." Abby grinned brightly. "Anomalous activity. Within Leek's compound. The day Chloe-the day it happened."

Lester frowned, slightly intrigued. "Go on."

"The computer detected an anomaly opening, but it was unlike any anomaly we've ever seen before." Connor declared, pulling off his hat. "It opened and closed in a matter of _seconds_." Connor clutched his hat tightly. "It opened in the cage room."

Lester's breath caught. "What are you saying Mr. Temple?"

Jenny finally spoke, stepping forwards. "James, Chloe might still be alive."

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

A spark of light erupted in the darkness before suddenly blaring into an all-encompasing light as an anomaly opened up, throbbing with life. Out of this a young woman stumbled out, gasping as she collapsed onto her knees, looking around her, disorientation obvious as she gazed around her before suddenly recognition hit and fear marred her features.

And yet the monsters that had been there seconds before were no where to be found.

Kneeling on the floor, Chloe Sullivan brought a hand to her beating heart as she looked around her at the room, which could barely be recognized as the cage room and was still in the beginning stages of construction.

She realized what this meant, eyes widening as her breath left her in a gasp. "When am I?"

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

**And thus ends Season Two! Hope you all enjoyed it! Let me know in a review?**

**ALSO! Out of pure curiosity, do you see anyone else in the Smallville universe making it in the Primeval one? Let me know who and why in your review!**


End file.
